ADVANCED OPHTHALMIC SLITTING KNIVES

Not Available Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are attractive electronic packaging materials because they offer a unique combination of high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and a high dielectric constant. Diamond layers have been deposited by various physical and chemical vapor deposition methods that require expensive equipment and high processing temperatures. This proposal introduces a novel method to deposit diamond-like carbon films using a low-cost electrochemical process. The ambient temperature process will produce nanocrystalline or amorphous DLC films on a wide variety of substrates without damaging the substrate material or introducing high thermal mismatch stresses. Various chemical precursors and experimental conditions will be investigated in Phase I. The deposited DLC film will be characterized by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The resulting DLC films will be exhibiting a high degree of sp3 carbon bonding and very high electrical resistance. BENEFITS: The development of low-cost diamond films will substantially increase the commercial market. The proposed fabrication process may potentially be used to produce low cost diamond abrasives, electric field emitters, and wear-resistant surfaces.