Roughening of atomically flat diamond (111) surfaces by a hot HNO)3/H)2SO_4 solution

摘要

A systematic investigation of the roughening of atomically flat diamond (111) surfaces by immersion in a hot mixture of HNO_3/H_2SO_4 acids was performed using atomic force microscopy. Before the immersion the diamond surfaces were atomically flat, with single bilayer steps and terraces; surface roughness increased after the immersion in the hot acid mixture. This result suggests that surface oxidation by the hot acid mixture etches the surface causing surface roughening.