Abstract: An apparatus comprises an Si-disposing section in which solid Si is disposed; a seed-crystal-disposing section in which a seed crystal of SiC is disposed; a synthesis vessel adapted to accommodate the Si-disposing section, the seed-crystal-disposing section, and carbon; heating means adapted to heat the Si-disposing section and the seed-crystal-disposing section; and a control section for transmitting to the heating means a command for heating the Si to an evaporation temperature of Si or higher and heating the seed crystal to a temperature higher than that of Si; wherein the Si evaporated by the heating means is adapted to reach the seed-crystal-disposing section.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an Si-disposing section in which solid Si is disposed; a seed-crystal-disposing section in which a seed crystal of SiC is disposed; a synthesis vessel adapted to accommodate the Si-disposing section, the seed-crystal-disposing section, and carbon; heating means adapted to heat the Si-disposing section and the seed-crystal-disposing section; and a control section for transmitting to the heating means a command for heating the Si to an evaporation temperature of Si or higher and heating the seed crystal to a temperature higher than that of Si; wherein the Si evaporated by the heating means is adapted to reach the seed-crystal-disposing section.

Abstract: An electron-emitting element comprises a diamond substrate, and a diamond protrusion grown on a surface of the diamond substrate so as to have a pointed portion in a form capable of emitting an electron. Since the diamond protrusion formed by growth has a sharply pointed tip portion, it can fully emit electrons. Preferably, the surface of the diamond substrate is a {100} face, and the diamond protrusion is surrounded by {111} faces.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a Ga-disposing section in which Ga is disposed; a seed-crystal-disposing section in which a seed crystal of GaN is disposed; a synthesis vessel adapted to accommodate the Ga-disposing section, the seed-crystal-disposing section, and a gas containing nitrogen; heating means adapted to heat the Ga-disposing section and the seed-crystal-disposing section; and a control section for transmitting to the heating means a command for heating the Ga to an evaporation temperature of Ga or higher and heating the seed crystal to a temperature higher than that of the Ga, wherein the Ga evaporated by the heating means is adapted to react with the nitrogen of a nitrogen component in the gas so as to yield a GaN-forming gas, the GaN-forming gas being adapted to reach the seed-crystal-disposing section.

Abstract: The apparatus according to the present invention is capable of maintain a plasma at relatively high pressure while preventing a window from being heated or sputtered by the plasma. The reaction chamber includes (1) an entrance window for guiding an electromagnetic wave such as a microwave or an RF to the reaction chamber, (2) a reaction room where film formation or etching for a substrate is performed by exciting a gas with the electromagnetic wave such as the microwave or the RF, and (3) an intermediate room arranged between the reaction room and the entrance window and having a pressure higher than that in the reaction chamber. The gas in the intermediate room is not excited with the electromagnetic wave such as the microwave or the RF.

Abstract: A diamond polycrystal body having metal films on its upper and lower surfaces is cut in the vertical direction using a laser to form a diamond polycrystal body piece having upper and lower surfaces and a cut surface connecting the upper and lower surfaces. The cut surface may be damaged and include graphite resulting from the laser cutting. To remove the damage and the graphite, the cut surface of the diamond polycrystal body piece is then plasma-treated. Thereby a prescribed degree of electrical insulation between the metallized upper and lower surfaces can be ensured.

Abstract: A diamond heat sink is disclosed in this invention. The diamond heat sink has a support layer consisting of substantially undoped vapor phase synthetic diamond, a heat sensitive layer consisting of doped vapor phase synthetic diamond formed on the surface of the support layer; an insulation layer consisting of substantially undoped vapor phase synthetic diamond formed on a predetermined region of the heat sensitive layer; and an electrode formed on the heat sensitive layer. The electrode typically consists of a metal, preferably Ti/Mo/Au or Ti/Pt/Au. The diamond heat sink of the present invention may further include a highly-doped layer for creating Ohmic contacts with the metal electrode, which is made of the vapor phase synthetic diamond having high impurity levels, and which is disposed between the metal electrode and the heat sensitive layer.

Abstract: A micro mechanical component of the present invention comprises a base, and at least one drive portion supported on the base and relatively driving to the base, in which the drive portion is formed from a diamond layer. Thus, because the drive portion has excellent mechanical strength and modulus of elasticity, the operational performance can be greatly improved as a micro mechanical component processed in a fine shape, from the conventional level. Further, because the drive portion exhibits excellent device characteristics under severe circumstances, the range of applications as a micro mechanical component can be widely expanded from the conventional range.

Abstract: A field effect transistor in accordance with the present invention comprises a buffer layer made of a highly resistant diamond on a substrate; an active layer which is made of a conductive diamond on the buffer layer and has such a dopant concentration that conduction of carriers is metallically dominated thereby and such a thickness that dopant distribution is two-dimensionally aligned thereby; a cap layer made of a highly resistant diamond on the active layer; a gate electrode layer formed on the cap layer so as to make Schottky contact therewith; and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which make ohmic contact with a laminate structure of said buffer, active and cap layers. Namely, the active layer is formed as a so-called .delta.-dope layer or pulse-dope layer doped with a conductive dopant, while being held between both highly resistant buffer and cap layers.

Abstract: A diamond heat sink of the present invention comprises: a support layer consisting of substantially undoped diamond; a heat sensitive layer consisting of doped diamond, disposed on the surface of the support layer; an insulation layer consisting of substantially undoped diamond, disposed on a predetermined region in the surface of the heat sensitive layer; electrodes disposed on the heat sensitive layer, wherein an exothermal device is placed on the surface of the insulation layer; and a cooling structure disposed on the backside of the support layer, the cooling structure having at least one microchannel, the microchannel being defined by a diamond, wherein an exothermal device is to be placed on the surface of the insulation layer; and wherein the heat sensitive layer and the electrodes form a thermistor, the electrical resistivity of the thermistor being capable of varying corresponding to heat generated from the exothermal device and transferred through the insulation layer to the thermistor.

Abstract: A field emission device according to the present invention comprises a support substrate; a cathode mounted on a surface of said support substrate; a first diamond portion located on any surface of said substrate, said first diamond portion substantially having an electrical connection with said cathode; a second diamond portion located on the substrate surface on which said first diamond portion is also located, said second diamond portion including plurality of diamond protuberances; and an anode positioned spaced apart from said first and second diamond portions, wherein a space is formed between said anode and said second diamond portion.

Abstract: A mechanical switch having two contacting sliding plates which have conductive parts periodically dispersed in an insulating background in a spatial period and a current assembling member for gathering currents from the conductive parts, and a driving device for reciprocating two sliding plates in parallel to the surface relatively by about half a period. The driving device cuts or leads a current from one sliding plate to the other by displacing the sliding plates. Parallel movement of the plates suppresses the occurrence of arc discharge in shutting a big current. The short stroke of the displacement gives high speed switching to the device.

Abstract: In general, the semiconductor laser device of the present invention comprises an emitting element comprising a doped diamond, which is doped with atoms of at least one rare earth metal and/or molecules of at least one compound containing a rare earth metal. The semiconductor laser device assembly according to the present invention comprises an emitting element of a doped diamond, which is a diamond doped with atoms of at least one rare earth metal and/or molecules of at least one compound containing a rare earth metal, and a thermal releasing element of a substantially undoped diamond, on which the semiconductor laser device are placed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising an electrode formed on a semiconductor diamond. The electrode includes a first metal section which is in contact with a surface of the semiconductor diamond and which has a thickness of 100 nm or smaller, and further including a second metal section which is in contact with the first metal section and which has a thickness of equal to or larger than four times the thickness of the first metal section. The second metal section is made of a metal having a melting point of 1000.degree. C. or higher.

Abstract: A micro mechanical component of the present invention comprises a base, and at least one drive portion supported on the base and relatively driving to the base, in which the drive portion is formed from a diamond layer. Thus, because the drive portion has excellent mechanical strength and modulus of elasticity, the operational performance can be greatly improved as a micro mechanical component processed in a fine shape, from the conventional level. Further, because the drive portion exhibits excellent device characteristics under severe circumstances, the range of applications as a micro mechanical component can be widely expanded from the conventional range.

Abstract: A diamond heat sink of the present invention comprises:a support layer consisting of substantially undoped vapor phase synthetic diamond;a heat sensitive layer consisting of doped vapor phase synthetic diamond formed on the surface of the support layer;an insulation layer consisting of substantially undoped vapor phase synthetic diamond formed on a predetermined region of the heat sensitive layer; andan electrode formed on the heat sensitive layer. The electrode typically consists of a metal, preferably Ti/Mo/Au or Ti/Pt/Au.The diamond heat sink of the present invention may further include a highly-doped layer for creating Ohmic contacts with the metal electrode, which is made of the vapor phase synthetic diamond having high impurity levels, and which is disposed between the metal electrode and the heat sensitive layer.

Abstract: The characteristics of a Schottky junction between diamond and metal causes the diode using the Schottky junction to have a large leakage reverse current and n-value far bigger than 1. A surface of diamond on which a Schottky junction shall be formed is pretreated by oxygen plasma or halogen plasma. The oxygen plasma or hydrogen plasma improves the surface state of the diamond by decoupling the surface C--C bonds and endowing the resulting extra bonds with hydrogen atoms, normalizing the superlattice structure at the surface. Pretreatment of the diamond by the oxygen or halogen plasma improves the diode properties; decreasing reverse current, increasing forward current and decreasing the n-value nearer to 1.

Abstract: A method of vapor-phase synthesizing a hard material use a raw material gas supplied into a reaction tube (6) while irradiating a region of the reaction tube (6) with microwaves (18) of a prescribed frequency for causing a synthesizing reaction to produce the hard material along a prescribed direction, by a plasma generation. In the reaction tube (6), at least two plate electrodes (17a, 17b, 19a, 19b) are oppositely arranged in parallel vertically to electric fields of the microwaves (18), so that the plasma is excited between the plate electrodes (17a, 17b, 19a, 19b) for vapor-phase synthesizing the hard material. The microwaves (18) of high electric power are introduced into the reaction tube (6) through a waveguide (5) without loss, so that strong electric fields can be homogeneously and stably distributed between the opposite plate electrodes.

Abstract: A single crystal diamond film having good crystallinity and electrical and optical characteristics is produced by a method which comprises steps of decomposing a raw material gas comprising a hydrogen gas, a carbon containing compound and an oxygen-containing compound and growing a single crystal diamond film on a substrate in a vapor phase.

Abstract: A single crystal diamond film having good electrical characteristics is produced by a method which comprises steps of decomposing a raw material gas comprising a hydrogen gas and a carbon-containing compound and epitaxially growing a single crystal diamond film on a single crystal substrate in a vapor phase, wherein a molar ratio of the carbon atoms in the carbon-containing compound to the hydrogen is from 2:100 to 10:100 and a lattice constant of the single crystal substrate satisfies the following relation:.vertline.(a-a.sub.0)/a.vertline..times.100.ltoreq.20 (I)wherein a.sub.0 is the lattice constant of diamond (3.567 .ANG.) and a is a lattice constant of the single crystal substrate.