Analysis of the diverse application areas of diamond

Diamond has excellent electrical properties, a wide bandgap, high breakdown field strength and high mobility, and is expected to become the ultimate semiconductor. Acoustically, it has the fastest surface acoustic wave speed and an extremely high Young's modulus. Its optical transparency range is as wide as far infrared to ultraviolet. Its thermal conductivity exceeds that of copper, and it has cross-field application potential.

Application of Functional Diamond

High temperature and high pressure (HTHP) is the main method for producing lab-grown diamonds. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for producing lab-grown diamonds has made rapid progress in the past three years, with a significant reduction in costs and significant progress in process stability. It has been mass-produced and put on the market in industrial batches.

As the "ultimate semiconductor", diamond is suitable for manufacturing high-performance electronic devices, with properties far exceeding those of GaN and SiC. It can emit high-intensity free excitons, which helps deep ultraviolet technology. Single crystal growth and doping technology are key. In the future, it is expected to break through technical bottlenecks and achieve better performance. Diamond semiconductor devices may become industry standards, with a wide range of impacts, including computers, automobiles, aerospace, etc.

Diamond has an extremely high thermal conductivity (2200W/(m·K)), far exceeding SiC, Si, GaAs and metals, and has a low thermal expansion coefficient and high elastic modulus, making it a high-quality electronic packaging material. It has been used in diamond-enhanced metal packaging and heat sink-diamond substrate GaN devices, etc., with commercial thermal conductivity of 350~600W/(m·K). The price of artificial diamond has dropped, which is conducive to large-scale production. Its high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation make it an optimal heat sink for high-power devices, such as laser diodes. CVD diamond and GaN integration has been achieved to improve RF power density.

An ideal power transmission window must have: low total absorption, low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity, high strength and Young's modulus, and small temperature change of refractive index. Diamond meets almost all of these requirements. Polycrystalline diamond has been industrialized in the fields of optical windows and is also used for decoration, such as high-end watches, luxury coatings and fashion products. Its strength and hardness far exceed Corning glass, and it is also used in mobile phone screens and camera lenses.

Diamond has low density and high strength, and is a high-performance high-frequency acoustic material that can vibrate perfectly at 70kHz to achieve excellent sound reproduction. It has the highest surface acoustic wave velocity and is the preferred material for surface acoustic wave filters, improving filtering frequency and power handling capacity.

Research shows that BDD is an environmentally friendly new electrode material. The electrochemical method has a remarkable effect on treating refractory organic matter and can almost completely mineralize it, which has attracted much attention. The BDD electrode generates strong oxidizing hydroxyl radicals and efficiently degrades wastewater organic matter. It has a wide electrochemical window, high oxygen evolution potential, and strong chemical stability. It is suitable for harsh environments and is expected to become a top organic wastewater treatment technology.

Diamond quantum technology helps solve biomedical and information economy problems. Diamond nitrogen vacancy defects are transformed into quantum resources and controlled by light at room temperature. Artificial diamonds are used as traps, impurities can be controlled, and photons can read information. Diamonds are developed into medical interfaces due to their characteristics, coatings are used for equipment, large-size blades are made, and nanoscale drug delivery labels can be used.

Nanodiamond has a large surface area, rich functional groups, easy adsorption reaction, and good dispersion after treatment. Experiments have proven that adding one thousandth of a spherical nanodiamond to lubricating oil can significantly improve the anti-wear and shock-absorbing effect and is widely suitable for mechanical structures.