Chemical vapour deposited diamond films have many industrial

applications but are assuming increasing importance in the area of microfabrication, most notably in the development of diamond-coated microtools. For these applications the control of structure and morphology is of critical importance. The crystallite size, orientation, surface roughness and the degree of sp3 character have a profound effect on the machining properties of the films deposited. In this paper, experimental results are presented on the effects of nitrogen doping on the surface morphology, crystallite size, and wear of microtools. It is concluded that the magnitude of tensile stresses induced in

the diamond grain by grinding forces at the rake face is the best indicator of tool wear during the grinding process.