Fluctuations of electrical and mechanical properties of diamond induced by interstitial hydrogen

While experimental evidence demonstrates that the presence of hydrogen (H) impurities in diamond films plays a significant role in determining their physical properties, the small radius of the H atom makes detecting such impurities quite a challenging task. In the present work, first-principles calculations were employed to provide an insight into the effects of the interstitial hydrogen on the electrical and mechanical properties of diamond crystals at the atomic level. The migrated pathways of the interstitial hydrogen are dictated by energetic considerations. Some new electronic states are formed near the Fermi level. The interstitial hydrogen markedly narrows the bandgap of the diamond and weakens the diamond crystal. The obvious decrement of the critical strain clearly implies the presence of an H-induced embrittlement effect.