Abstract: Disclosed is a combinatorial synthesis of Diamond wherein a first reactive species is produced by catalytic treatment of Acetylene, a second reactive species is produced by decomposition of a hydrocarbon source having a low Hydrogen-to-Carbon ratio using a high energy discharge, and the two reactive species so obtained are combined in the vapor phase to yield Diamond without the need of post-treatments. The reaction is efficient and affords Diamond under mild conditions with high purity such that it may be useful for producing Diamond for semiconductor and microelectronics applications.

Abstract: A method to fabricate nanoporous diamond membranes and a nanoporous diamond membrane are provided. A silicon substrate is provided and an optical lithography is used to produce metal dots on the silicon substrate with a predefined spacing between the dots. Selective seeding of the silicon wafer with nanodiamond solution in water is performed followed by controlled lateral diamond film growth producing the nanoporous diamond membrane. Back etching of the under laying silicon is performed to open nanopores in the produced nanoporous diamond membrane.

Abstract: A diamond layer can be applied stably onto a graphite substrate in a CVD process when the graphite substrate is subjected to the following pretreatment steps before the CVD process: fine cleaning of the surface in a vacuum at a temperature >500° C., preferably >800° C., in an etching gas atmosphere, mechanical removal of loose particles, seeding of the substrate surface with very small diamond particles and at least one degassing treatment in a vacuum to remove adsorbed hydrocarbons and adsorbed air at a temperature T>500° C., preferably T>700° C.

Abstract: The synthesis of ordered arrays of GSC's by re-growth from pre-patterned seed crystals that offer an approach for scalable fabrication of single crystal graphene devices while avoiding domain boundaries is demonstrated herein. Each graphene island is a single crystal and every graphene island is of similar size. The size of graphene island arrays can be as small as less than 1 mm2 or as large as several m2. The distance between each GSC island is also adjustable from several micrometers to millimeters. All of the graphene islands are addressable for devices and electrical circuit fabrication.

Abstract: Disclosed is a carbon film which has optical characteristics of retaining a high transparency and being high in refractive index and low in double refractivity, is excellent in electric insulating performance, can be applied to various base materials with good adhesiveness, and can be formed at low temperature. Also disclosed is a laminate including a carbon film and a method for producing the laminate.

Abstract: A carbon material and a method of manufacturing the carbon material are provided. By affixing diamond particles onto a carbonaceous substrate in a condition in which etching caused by hydrogen radicals is unlikely to occur, the substrate etching rate can be suppressed, and the carbon material is allowed to have a diamond thin film having excellent adhesion capability. The carbon material has a carbonaceous substrate showing a weight decrease under a diamond synthesis condition, diamond particles disposed on a surface of the carbonaceous substrate, and a diamond layer having the diamond particles as seeds. The weight of the diamond particles per unit area is set to from 1.0×10?4 g/cm2 to less than 3.0×10?3 g/cm2.

Abstract: Methods of applying a nanocrystalline diamond film to a cutting tool are provided. In the methods, the cutting tool comprises tungsten carbide and has a cutting edge with a radius of curvature of no more than about 1 ?m. The methods can comprise seeding a cutting surface of the cutting tool with a diamond nanopowder, the cutting surface having a reduced cobalt content, and depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film having a thickness of no more than about 1 ?m onto the seeded cutting surface. The methods can also comprise implanting carbon ions into a cutting surface of the cutting tool to provide a carbide rich cutting surface and depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film having a thickness of no more than about 1 ?m onto the carbide-rich cutting surface.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for fabricating geometrical diamond/matrix composites where all or a part of surfaces of the matrix are covered with a diamond film, and to fabricate hollow diamond shells using the composites where a part is uncoated with a diamond film. Hollow diamond shells were prepared by etching out of the matrix soluble with chemicals through an opening, a zone on the matrix, uncoated with diamond film. By changing the shape and the size of the geometrical matrixes, various kinds of diamond/matrix composites and diamond shells in shape and in size can be fabricated. The sizes available are between 200 nm and 2 mm.

Abstract: Briefly described, methods of forming diamond are described. A representative method, among others, includes: providing a substrate in a reaction chamber in a non-magnetic-field microwave plasma system; introducing, in the absence of a gas stream, a liquid precursor substantially free of water and containing methanol and at least one carbon and oxygen containing compound having a carbon to oxygen ratio greater than one, into an inlet of the reaction chamber; vaporizing the liquid precursor; and subjecting the vaporized precursor, in the absence of a carrier gas and in the absence in a reactive gas, to a plasma under conditions effective to disassociate the vaporized precursor and promote diamond growth on the substrate in a pressure range from about 70 to 130 Torr.

Abstract: A diamond layer can be applied stably onto a graphite substrate in a CVD process when the graphite substrate is subjected to the following pretreatment steps before the CVD process: fine cleaning of the surface in a vacuum at a temperature >500° C., preferably >800° C., in an etching gas atmosphere, mechanical removal of loose particles, seeding of the substrate surface with very small diamond particles and at least one degassing treatment in a vacuum to remove adsorbed hydrocarbons and adsorbed air at a temperature T>500° C., preferably T>700° C.

Abstract: A conductive diamond electrode including an electrode substrate comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a valve metal and an alloy based on the valve metal, at least a surface of the metal or alloy having been subjected to plasticization processing, or heat treatment in vacuum or inert atmosphere; and a conductive diamond film formed on the plasticization processed surface of the electrode substrate. When the electrode substrate is subjected to plasticization processing and heat treatment, peeling resistance of the conductive diamond film is improved, thereby an electrode life is prolonged.

Abstract: A new class of carbon materials and their synthesis. The new carbon materials are formed by high pressure and high temperature processing of fullerene based carbon powder. The new carbon materials are harder than graphite and can be harder than steel (what the starting fullerenes are single wall nanotubes) or almost as hard as diamond (when the starting fullerened arm C60 buckyballs). The physical attributes of the materials can also be controlled by the pressing and heating parameters. These new carbon materials are conductive like graphite and unlike diamond which is an insulator. The materials can be formed by powder metallurgy techniques into any shape (cylinders, balls, tubes, rods, cones, foils, fibers or others). The new materials can also be readily doped, converted to diamond, formed within a porous composite or converted to diamond within the porous composite.

Abstract: A method of producing diamond or diamond like films in which a negative bias is established on a substrate with an electrically conductive surface in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system. The atmosphere that is subjected to microwave energy includes a source of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen. The negative bias is maintained on the substrate through both the nucleation and growth phase of the film until the film is continuous. Biases between −100V and −200 are preferred. Carbon sources may be one or more of CH4, C2H2 other hydrocarbons and fullerenes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for nucleation and growth of diamond by hot-filament DC plasma deposition. The apparatus uses a resistively heated filament array for dissociating hydrogen in the reactant gas. For two sided diamond growth, configurations of substrate-hot filament-grid-hot filament-substrate or substrate-hot filament-hot filament-substrate configuration are used. For the latter configuration, two independent arrays of filaments serve as both hot filament and grid, and AC or DC plasma is maintained between the filament arrays. For this and the other electrode configurations, the grid electrode is positively biased with respect to the hot filaments to maintain a plasma. The plasma potential gradient across the grid and the hot-filament draws ions from the plasma towards the filaments. To further increase deposition rates, the filament array is biased negatively with respect to the substrate holder so that a DC plasma is also maintained between the substrate and filament array.