Element-selective observation of electronic structure transition between semiconducting and metallic states in boron-doped diamond using soft X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy

Iihara, Junji*; Muramatsu, Yasuji; Takebe, Toshihiko*; Sawamura, Akitaka*; Namba, Akihiko*; Imai, Takahiro*; Denlinger, J. D.*; Perera, R. C. C.*

Electronic structure transition between semiconducting and metallic states in boron (B) -doped diamonds was element-selectively observed by soft X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. For the lightly B-doped diamonds, the B 2-density of states (DOS) in the valence band were enhanced with a steep-edge-feature near the Fermi level, and localized acceptor levels, characteristic of semiconductors, were clearly observed both in B 2- and C 2-DOS in the conduction bands. For the heavily B-doped diamonds, the localized acceptor levels developed into extended energy levels and new energy levels were generated to form an extended conduction band structure which overlapped with the valence band. Thus, this clarified that the metallic energy band structure is actually formed by heavy boron doping. Such valence and conduction band structures observed by soft X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy well accounted for the electrical properties of the B-doped diamonds.