Vapor‐Phase‐Deposited Diamond—Problems and Potential

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Abstract
Considerable progress has been made toward the goal of diamond synthesis by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This progress consists of improved methods for synthesis and understanding how diamond is formed. The field has rapidly expanded with industrial consortia, international joint ventures, specialized journals, novel methods for synthesis and processing, and the introduction of new products. Despite this expansion, many issues remain unresolved, generating considerable debate within the research community. Among these debates is the question of how diamond is formed. Both thermodynamics and kinetics are frequently debated at the many world‐wide meetings on this technology. The resolution of these issues awaits further progress and, with improved understanding, may have implications for the synthesis of other ceramic materials. The diamond research community includes not only ceramists and other materials scientists, but specialists in subjects that range from chemistry and chemical engineering to solid‐state physics and electrical engineering. Crystals are grown using methods that range from the use of high‐power plasmas and the combustion of acetylene in oxygen to the thermal decomposition of fluorocarbons and various hydrocarbons in the presence of fluorine. Although some evidence exists for diamond heteroepitaxy, the goal of large‐area heteroepitaxial diamond has proved elusive. Thick (> 100 μm), free‐standing, polycrystalline diamond layers are being grown, and their properties rival those of natural crystals. Methods have been developed for the cutting, polishing, and brazing of diamond, and products are being tested in the marketplace. Engineering of the diamond–substrate interface for acceptable adhesion and reliability has progressed, although much work remains to be done. The central issues for commercialization are less the question of whether diamond can be grown in sufficient amounts or with sufficiently attractive properties, but rather whether the fabrication methods can be made sufficiently cost‐effective for the markets envisioned.

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