A simple and new method for synthesizing (1 1 1)-textured diamond films in a hot-filament CVD reactor has been developed by adopting a lower-than-normal filament temperature pretreatment. The (1 1 1) facets are always dominant in the resulting diamond films using a low filament temperature range of 1300-1600 degreesC. This growth habit is insensitive to the change in deposition parameters, such as substrate temperature, methane concentration, and even addition of a small amount of nitrogen. High-quality and high-textured (1 1 1) diamond films can be easily achieved by a subsequent growth at a normal filament temperature of 2000 degreesC. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.