arizona state university (tempe, ariz.) professor of physics robert nemanich is an expert on the properties of diamonds and he is now proposing the use of doped diamond layers grown on small diamond plates to build electronics that will work at high-temperature and high-power applications.
robert nemanich, a regents’ professor of physics at arizona state university. (charlie leight/asu now)
according to a report from the university, the asu team has patented the growth process, which includes immersing a diamond substrate in a plasma of several chemicals. the atoms from the chemicals are organized on the surface of the diamond, mimicking the substrate’s crystal structure.
these diamond layers change the electrical properties of the diamond, but researchers use microfabrication processing on the layers to alter behavior in specific ways. this process created diamond layers can work as well as materials much larger.
“does this mean we can expect to see tiny diamonds in our smartphones soon?” the article asked. “not exactly. silicon continues to be more cost-effective for low-temperature applications, like cellphones and laptops.
it added, “but diamond is a good choice for anything with a high-powered engine, such as an electric vehicle or an aircraft. because diamond is excellent at conducting away heat, it would completely replace the need for a cooling system. diamond also works well at very high pressures, which makes it perfect for deep-earth drilling.”
one application that the asu team is exploring for diamonds is cancer treatments. diamond is “radiation-hard,” which means that it takes longer to degrade under x-rays or gamma rays. this makes it possible to be used in proton beam technology, a radiation therapy for cancer patients. the researchers are working with mayo clinic arizona to see if diamonds would be applicable.
asu post-doctoral researchers manpuneet kaur benipal and brianna eller have started a new company, advent diamond, with the goal of commercializing diamond semiconductor devices to advance electronics in high-temperature applications.
learn more about the new diamond growing process in the video below:
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