Nanomechanical resonant structures in nanocrystalline diamond

We report the fabrication and the operation of nanomechanical resonant structures in nanocrystalline diamond. For this purpose, continuous diamond films as thin as 80 nm were grown using microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The lateral dimensions of the fabricated structures were as small as 50 nm and the measured mechanical resonant frequencies were up to 640 MHz. The mechanical quality factors were in the range of 2500-3000 at room temperature. The elastic properties of these films obtained via the resonant measurements indicate a Young's modulus close to that of single-crystal diamond. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.