Large Area Single Crystal Diamond Growth

DIAMOND EXHIBITS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES THAT MAKE IT AN IDEAL MATERIAL FROM WHICH TO CONSTRUCT ELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE, HIGH FREQUENCY AND/OR HIGH RADIATION APPLICATIONS. TO REALIZE THE SUBSTANTIAL PROMISE OF DIAMOND AS AN ELECTRONIC MATERIAL, SUBSTRATES LARGER THAN THOSE PROVIDED BY NATURAL DIAMOND MUST BE AVAILABLE, WITH DIAMOND HETEREOPITAXY THE KEY TO LARGER DIAMOND SUBSTRATES. IN THIS PHASE I PROJECT, WE PROPOSE TO EXAMINE AND ENHANCE A PROPRIETARY PROCESS DEVELOPED BY THE DIAMOND LABORATORY AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY AND LICENSED BY SI DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY, INC. TO GROW HETEROEPITAXIAL DIAMOND ON SILICON. SI DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY WILL USE ITS UNIQUE COMBINATION OF DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS AND LASER GROWTH FACILITIES TO ANALYZE THE GROWTH PROCESS. THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS INCLUDE DIRECT RECOIL SPECTROSCOPY, MASS SPECTROSCOPY OF RECOIL IONS, REFLECTION HIGH ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION AND LOW ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION. BECAUSE SOME OF OUR ANALYSIS TOOLS AND LASER FACILITIES ARE UNAVAILABLE AT THE WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY DIAMOND LABORATORY, OUR EFFORTS WILL ENHANCE AND COMPLIMENT THEIR ONGOING DIAMOND GROWTH EFFORTS ARE BE DIRECTED TOWARDS DETERMINING THE REASON FOR THE SPARSE DIAMOND NUCLEATION. THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND A UNIVERSITY WILL FIND THE DIAMOND NUCLEATION AND GROWTH CONDITIONS MORE RAPIDLY AND PROVIDE A DIRECT COMMERCIALIZATION PATH SO THE DIAMOND SUBSTRATES WILL RAPIDLY BE AVAILABLE TO THE LARGER SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.