Abstract: Surfaces of diamond crystals are examined by coating the surfaces with thin metal films, launching laser beams to the diamond surfaces in a slanting angle, detecting defects and particles on the diamond surfaces by the scattering of beams and counting the defects and particles by a laser scanning surface defect detection apparatus. Diamond SAW devices should be made on the diamond films or bulks with the defect density less than 300 particles cm−2. Preferably, the diamond surfaces should have roughness less than Ra20 nm. Diamond SAW filters can be produced by depositing a piezoelectric film and making interdigital transducers on the low-defect density diamond crystals.

Abstract: The invention offers a hard carbon film and a SAW substrate that are easy to fabricate or low in manufacturing cost while virtually maintaining the quality that affects the important properties of a device that comprises the hard carbon film or the SAW substrate. The hard carbon film comprises a composite film of graphite-like diamond and carbon clusters; the composite film has a continuous crystal structure.

Abstract: Surfaces of diamond crystals are examined by coating the surfaces with thin metal films, launching laser beams to the diamond surfaces in a slanting angle, detecting defects and particles on the diamond surfaces by the scattering of beams and counting the defects and particles by a laser scanning surface defect detection apparatus. Diamond SAW devices should be made on the diamond films or bulks with the defect density less than 300 particles cm−2. Preferably, the diamond surfaces should have roughness less than Ra20 nm. Diamond SAW filters can be produced by depositing a piezoelectric film and making interdigital transducers on the low-defect density diamond crystals.

Abstract: A method of producing and polishing a hard-material-coated wafer. A hard-material film is disposed on a substrate to form the wafer and provide the wafer with a convex shape. A surface of the substrate is fixed on a holder of a polishing machine having a whetstone turn-table. The holder is rotated about its axis, and the whetstone turn-table is revolved about its shaft. The convex film surface of the hard-material film is polished on the whetstone turn-table while the inclination angle of the holder relative to the turn-table is changed. In this way, the convex film surface is polished either from its center to its periphery or from its periphery to its center.

Abstract: A diamond wafer including a substrate and a (100) oriented polycrystalline diamond film grown on the substrate for making surface acoustic wave devices, semiconductor devices or abrasion-resistant discs. The (100) oriented film is produced by changing a hydrocarbon ratio in a material gas halfway from a higher value to a lower value. The wafer is monotonously distorted with a distortion height H satisfying 2 .mu.m.ltoreq..vertline.H.vertline..ltoreq.150 .mu.m. The film is polished to a roughness of less than Rmax50 nm and Ra20 nm.

Abstract: No wide bulk diamond wafer exists at present. A wide diamond-coated wafer is proposed instead of the bulk diamond wafer. Diamond is heteroepitaxially deposited on a convex-distorted non-diamond single crystal substrate by a vapor phase deposition method. In an early step, a negative bias is applied to the substrate. In the case of a Si substrate, an intermediate layer of .beta.-SiC is first deposited on the Si substrate by supplying a low carbon concentration material gas. Then the carbon concentration is raised for making a diamond film. The convex-distorted wafer is stuck to a holder having a shaft which is capable of inclining to the holder. The wafer is pushed to a turn-table of a polishing machine. The convex diamond wafer can fully be polished by inclining the holder to the shaft. A wide distorted mirror wafer of diamond is produced. Fine wire patterns can be made on the diamond mirror wafer by the photolithography.

Abstract: A diamond wafer including a substrate and a (111) oriented polycrystalline diamond film grown on the substrate for making surface acoustic wave devices, semiconductor devices or abrasion-resistant discs. The (111) oriented film is produced by supplying a lower carbon concentration gas and a higher carbon concentration gas alternately. The lower carbon concentration means 0% to 1% of the atomic ratio C/H. The higher carbon concentration means 1% to 8% of the atomic ratio C/H. More than 40% of layered defects are either parallel with or slanting at an angle less than 5 degrees to the surface. The wafer is monotonously distorted with a distortion height H satisfying 2 .mu.m.ltoreq..vertline.H.vertline..ltoreq.150 .mu.m. The film is polished to a roughness of less than Rmax50 nm and Ra20 nm.

Abstract: A hard material-coated wafer that having a distortable substrate and a hard material film deposited thereon by a CVD method is provided. The substrate is substantially flat while in a free-standing state. However, deposition of the hard material film having a Vickers hardness of more than Hv3000 on the substrate causes the substrate to distort into a generally convex-shape. Specifically, the wafer is distorted to the film side with a distortion height H of -150 .mu.m to -2 .mu.m. The resulting wafer can have a total thickness that ranges from 0.1 mm to 2.1 mm; and a diameter that is bigger than 25 mm. Moreover, more than 50% of the film can be polished to a roughness less than Rmax 50 nm and Ra 20 nm.

Abstract: A diamond wafer including a substrate and a (100) oriented polycrystalline diamond film grown on the substrate for making surface acoustic wave devices, semiconductor devices or abrasion-resistant discs. The (100) oriented film is produced by changing a hydrocarbon ratio in a material gas halfway from a higher value to a lower value. The wafer is monotonously distorted with a distortion height H satisfying 2 .mu.m.ltoreq..vertline.H.vertline..ltoreq.150 .mu.m. The film is polished to a roughness of less than Rmax50 nm and Ra20 nm.

Abstract: A diamond wafer including a substrate and a (111) oriented polycrystalline diamond film grown on the substrate for making surface acoustic wave devices, semiconductor devices or abrasion-resistant discs. The (111) oriented film is produced by supplying a lower carbon concentration gas and a higher carbon concentration gas alternately. The lower carbon concentration means 0% to 1% of the atomic ratio C/H. The higher carbon concentration means 1% to 8% of the atomic ratio C/H. More than 40% of the layered defects of the diamond film are either parallel with or slanting at an angle less than 5 degrees to the surface of the film. The wafer is monotonously distorted with a distortion height H satisfying the inequality 2 .mu.m.ltoreq..vertline.H.vertline..ltoreq.150 .mu.m. The film is polished to a roughness of less than Rmax50 nm and Ra20 nm.