Selective growth of diamond structures through seeding by Q-carbon fibers

We show that carbon fibers from –(C 3 H 3 N)- polyacrylonitrile (PAN) monomers can be carbonized to create Q-carbon type structures. These PAN-derived amorphous structures can be directly used to seed diamond growth. When these fibers are treated with nanosecond laser pulses, Q-carbon converts directly into nanodiamonds. Q-carbon and nanodiamonds provide barrierless nucleation for diamond growth. and convert entire fibers into diamond structures. We provide detailed characterization of the resulting diamond structures and discuss their growth characteristics. From these experimental results, we provide a mechanism for nucleation of metastable phase of diamond and the formation of continuous diamond films. These carbon structures, with and without laser treatment, can be used for barrierless nucleation and seeding diamond films over a large area for wafer-scale integration. Using this technique, we demonstrate that carbon fibers and films can be used to grow diamond structures selectively to create diamond rings and strings and thick diamond plates.