Fast forming diamonds in the lab
17 May 2005
by Richard
Conan-Davies
|
Need a diamond fast? Well researchers from the Carnegie Institution have developed a technique for producing artificial diamonds that relies on depositing carbon called chemical vapor deposition (CVD) that is much quicker than traditional high pressure methods. These new fast diamonds can be grown about five times faster than commercially available diamonds produced by the standard high temperature and high pressure method. The Carnegie process growth rate is about 100 micrometers per hour and can reach upto 300 micrometers per hour. Typically produced synthetic diamond is yellow and most CVD diamond is brown, limiting their optical uses but this team has made colorless single-crystal diamonds, transparent from the ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths with their CVD process. Dr. Russell Hemley who leads the diamond effort at Carnegie explained that "High-quality crystals over 3 carats are very difficult to produce using the conventional approach," He further explained about others working on the problems of creating diamonds adding that "Several groups have begun to grow diamond single crystals by CVD, but large, colorless, and flawless ones remain a challenge. Our fabrication of 10-carat, half-inch, CVD diamonds is a major breakthrough." The results were reported at the 10th International Conference on New Diamond Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan, on May 12, and will be reported at the Applied Diamond Congress in Argonne, |
 5 carat diamond laser cut from a 10 carat single crystal produced by high-growth rate CVD. |
Related Links
Original press release from Carnegie Institute
A link to an image of the CVD process from Gemmological Association of All Japan, Research Laboratory
Nature
& Science News
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