Development of devices in CVD-diamond for short term applications

Abstract

The objective of this project is to carry forward the research and development work of the National Space Research Institute - Inpe and of the São Francisco University - USF, in a small company, with the real possibilities of achieving the industrialization of products manufactured from CVD-diamond. This artificial diamond has properties equivalent to natural diamond, with the advantage of being made available in the form of fine and thick films on small surfaces (less than 1 mm2) and large surfaces (greater than 100 cm2), in different formats. The company itself already produces hydrogen gas, the most expensive raw material for the process of growing CVD-diamond. Within this objective, there is the need for the assembling of a reactor for growing, on large surfaces, with a system of recycling/reusing of the gas adjusting the reactor to higher growth rates, appropriate to industrialization. To be able to make use of the company’s hydrogen, it will be necessary to set up a compression system for this gas, allowing its escape into the appropriate receiving vessel. With this new reactor concept, there is a need to research, on an industrial scale, the new growth parameters in relation to quality, rates of nucleus and film growths to be produced on some types of substrates. At the heart of this research, there is a desire to develop and place on the market, devices such as mechanical probes, cutting edges for plastic materials and non-ferrous metals, orifices and tubes in CVD-diamond, drills for odontology and related uses, as well as windows for optical protection. (AU)