Laser-based Diamond Boule Growth

A NEW LASER-BASED DIAMOND GROWTH TECHNIQUE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DELIVER GROWTH RATES HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER KNOWN TECHNIQUE. THE TECHNIQUE, BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE "CONTAINERLESS PROCESSING", SHOULD PROVE VERY USEFUL IN GROWING HIGH QUALITY SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FOR USE IN THERMAL MANAGEMENT AND ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS. THE ENORMOUS GROWTH RATES POSSIBLE WITH THIS PROCESS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ITS UNSURPASSED GROWTH RATE TO ENERGY INPUT RATIO, MAKE THIS LASER-BASED PROCESS THE POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL WINNER IN THE RACE TO COMMERCIALIZE DIAMOND ELECTRONICS AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT SUBSTRATES. IN THIS PHASE I PROJECT, SI DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY WILL STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF GROWING HIGH QUALITY, SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND BOULES FROM A DIAMOND SEED USING THIS NEW DEPOSITION TECHNOLOGY. ONCE PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR HOMOEPITAXIAL GROWTH OF DIAMOND ARE ESTABLISHED, DEFECT DENSITY, INCLUDING IMPURITIES, DISLOCATIONS AND TWIN PLANES, AND THE PRESENCE OF NON-DIAMOND CARBON, WILL BE AS A FUNCTION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM DEPOSITION PARAMETERS FOR BOULE GROWTH. THE DEFECT DENSITY WILL BE COMPARED TO HOMOEPITAXIAL GROWN BY THE OXYGEN-ACETYLENE FLAME METHOD. OPTIMIZATION OF DEFECT-FREE BOULE GROWTH WILL BE ADDRESSED EARLY IN PHASE II OF THIS EFFORT.