We report on the preparation of hydrogen-free nanocrystalline diamond films by pulsed electron beam ablation (channel-spark) from a single target on silicon and stainless steel substrates and under different process conditions. The films have been grown from highly ordered pyrolytic graphite at room temperature in an argon atmosphere under a pressure of 0.6 Pa. This study aims at elucidating the influence of the accelerating voltage (13, 14.5, and 16 kV) and electron beam pulse repetition rate (5 and 8 Hz) on film morphology, grain size, carbon-carbon sp3 content, and crystalline fraction. The films have been characterized using visible-reflectance spectroscopy, visible-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy . (AFM). The correlations between measurement data and film properties are examined and discussed.
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