Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy studies of superconducting boron-doped diamond films

We have investigated the low-energy electronic state of boron-doped diamond thin film by the laser-excited photoemission spectroscopy. A clear Fermi-edge is observed for samples doped above the semiconductor–metal boundary, together with the characteristic structures at 150 � n meV possibly due to the strong electron–lattice coupling effect. In addition, for the superconducting sample, we observed a shift of the leading edge below T c indicative of a superconducting gap opening. We discuss the electron–lattice coupling and the superconductivity in doped diamond. r 2006 NIMS and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.