1. Picometer-Scale Atomic Shifts Governing Subdisordered Structures in Diamond
- Author
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Cui, Junfeng, Yang, Yingying, Yang, Mingyang, Yang, Guoyong, Chen, Guoxin, Zhang, Lei, Lin, Cheng-Te, Liu, Sha, Tang, Chun, Ke, Peiling, Lu, Yang, Nishimura, Kazuhito, and Jiang, Nan
- Abstract
Diamond is considered the most promising next-generation semiconductor material due to its excellent physical characteristics. It has been more than three decades since the discovery of a special structure named n-diamond. However, despite extensive efforts, its crystallographic structure and properties are still unclear. Here, we show that subdisordered structures in diamond provide an explanation for the structural feature of n-diamond. Monocrystalline diamond with subdisordered structures is synthesized via the chemical vapor deposition method. Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy characterizations combined with the picometer-precision peak finder technology and diffraction simulations reveal that picometer-scale shifts of atoms within cells of diamond govern the subdisordered structures. First-principles calculations indicate that the bandgap of diamond decreases rapidly with increasing shifting distance, in accordance with experimental results. These findings clarify the crystallographic structure and electronic properties of n-diamond and provide new insights into the bandgap adjustment in diamond.
- Published
- 2024
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