Polycrystalline Diamond Research Articles

Optically Detectable Magnetic Resonance of NV-Center Ensembles in CVD Diamond with Different 13C Contents

Optically Detectable Magnetic Resonance of NV-Center Ensembles in CVD Diamond with Different 13C Contents

An enhanced YOLOv8n object detector for synthetic diamond quality evaluation.

To address the need for automated sorting of synthetic diamonds based on quality in manufacturing enterprises, this study developed a dedicated dataset and an enhanced YOLOv8n model for synthetic diamonds detection and quality evaluation, named YOLOv8n-adamas. We redesigned the backbone network to improve feature extraction capabilities and introduced a dynamic detection head based on attention mechanisms to further enhance model performance. Experimental results show that on synthetic diamonds dataset, YOLOv8n-adamas achieved a 4.0% improvement in precision (P), a 2.7% increase in recall (R), and improvements of 1.5% and 1.3% in mean average precisions at 50% and 95% Intersection over Union (IoU) thresholds (mAP50 and mAP95) compared to YOLOv8. Furthermore, YOLOv8n-adamas also outperforms other commonly used, high-performing models in various metrics on this dataset, offering effective technical support for the automated quality-based sorting of synthetic diamonds.

Grain Refinement-Induced Machined Surface Quality Promotion in Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Polycrystalline Diamond Cutting of Polycrystalline Cu

Grain Refinement-Induced Machined Surface Quality Promotion in Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Polycrystalline Diamond Cutting of Polycrystalline Cu

Electrochemical carboxylation: Green synthesis of atrolactic acid using boron-doped diamond electrodes

Electrochemical CO2 fixation is vital for sustainability in the chemical industry, yet the selective synthesis of multi-carbon products remains challenging. Organic electrosynthesis offers promise by enabling precise control over reaction conditions and facilitating novel reactivity patterns. One such technique, electrochemical carboxylation, involves coupling CO2 with organic molecules to produce carboxylic acids. Specifically, electro-carboxylation of acetophenone yields atrolactic acid, a valuable precursor for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, providing a greener alternative to traditional production methods. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of boron-doped diamond (BDD) films using the microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MP-CVD) method and synthesized BDD electrodes were then used for the electrolytic carboxylation of acetophenone. Various analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and laser microscopy, etc. were employed to characterize the BDD films. Various BDD films synthesized for different durations were utilized in the electrolytic carboxylation of acetophenone, with the highest yield of atrolactic acid (25 %) achieved using a BDD film synthesized over 6 h. Also, the effect of BDD surface modification i.e. oxygen and hydrogen terminated BDD on the synthesis of atrolactic acid was studied. Additionally, different electrolytes were employed in the synthesis process of atrolactic acid. A comparative study between Pt and BDD electrodes for the electrolytic carboxylation of acetophenone was conducted, and a mechanism for the formation of atrolactic acid was proposed.

Facile synthesis of novel nitrogen-doped diamond with excellent microwave absorption and thermal conductive performance

Facile synthesis of novel nitrogen-doped diamond with excellent microwave absorption and thermal conductive performance

Development of a compact and portable diamond-based detection system for dosimetry and microdosimetry in ion beam therapy.

Ion beam therapy techniques have advanced significantly in the past two decades. However, the development of dosimetric verification methods has lagged. Traditional dosimetry, which offers a macroscopic view of the absorbed dose, fails to address the micrometric-scale stochastic effects crucial for understanding biological responses. To bridge this gap, microdosimeters are used to assess physical quantities correlated with radiation effects. This work reports on the design and testing of a novel detection system based on synthetic single crystal diamond. The system is capable of simultaneously performing dosimetric and microdosimetric characterizations of clinical ion beams. The detector incorporates two active components configured as diamond Schottky diodes, both integrated on a single crystal diamond substrate. In particular, one very small element (sensitive area 0.0078 mm2) was designed to evaluate microdosimetric metrics, while the other large one (sensitive area 4.2 mm2) was designed to measure the absorbed dose to water. Diamond detectors were characterized using the ion beam induced charge (IBIC) technique, employing a 1MeV protons microbeam. The IBIC map of the diamond detector shows two distinct sensitive areas with quite uniform sensitivity, well contained within the metallic contact regions. Dedicated front-end electronic circuits were designed and implemented for both the dosimetric and microdosimetric signals. These circuits, along with the integrated diamond detector, were embedded in an aluminum waterproof housing to minimize electronic interference. This configuration enables a compact, portable setup compatible with water phantoms. Laboratory tests with alpha particles yielded promising results, demonstrating stable and reproducible responses with a good signal-to-noise ratio.

Effects of composite binder and sintering temperature on the microstructure, properties and reaction mechanism of polycrystalline diamond

Effects of composite binder and sintering temperature on the microstructure, properties and reaction mechanism of polycrystalline diamond

High-temperature tribological behaviors of polycrystalline diamond under water-based drilling fluid environments

High-temperature tribological behaviors of polycrystalline diamond under water-based drilling fluid environments

Wear-resistant and stable low-friction nanodiamond composite superhard coatings against Al2O3 counter-body in dry condition

Conventional machining lubricants pose environmental hazards and increase production costs. This study addresses this challenge by investigating nanodiamond composite (NDC) coatings deposited on WC–Co substrates as a lubricant-free alternative for sustainable machining. The NDC films show superior hardness (65 GPa) compared to the substrate (22 GPa) and enhanced adhesion (HF2). The NDC's unique self-lubrication results in a low and stable friction coefficient (COF ≤ 0.095) and exceptional wear resistance (7.45 × 10−8 mm3/N·m) in dry tesing against Al2O3 counter-body. Compared to CVD diamond, NDC coatings show a 47.8 % reduction in COF and a 31.65 % enhancement in wear resistance, promoting environmentally friendly machining practices.

Investigation of Electrochemical Fingerprints for Buzhong Yiqi Tang Extract Granules Using Diamond-Graphene Composite Electrode

This study presents a novel electrochemical fingerprinting method for Buzhong Yiqi Tang extract granules using a diamond-graphene composite electrode. The electrode was fabricated through chemical vapor deposition of graphene on high-pressure high-temperature synthetic diamond, resulting in a few-layer graphene coating as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy (I₂D/IG ratio ≈ 1.2) and XPS analysis (78% sp² C-C signal). Cyclic voltammetry revealed four anodic and three cathodic peaks, while differential pulse voltammetry provided enhanced resolution with eight distinct oxidation peaks. The method demonstrated high sensitivity (LODs 0.08-0.15mg/mL) and good linearity (R² > 0.995) over a concentration range of 0.5-10mg/mL. Comparison of fingerprints from individual herb extracts (Astragalus membranaceus, Panax ginseng, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis) elucidated the origins of major peaks in the Buzhong Yiqi Tang profile. Principal component analysis of fingerprints successfully differentiated between samples from three manufacturers, accounting for 87.3% of total variance. Strong correlations (r > 0.92) were observed between key DPV peak intensities and HPLC-determined concentrations of traditional chemical markers. The rapid analysis time, minimal sample preparation, and holistic representation of multiple electroactive components make this approach a promising complement to existing chromatographic methods for quality assessment of traditional Chinese medicine formulations.

Effect of electrically aligned polycrystalline diamond flakes on the through-plane thermal conductivity of heat conduction sheets

Heat conduction sheets, which are composed of a thermally conductive filler and a base elastomer matrix, are important for dissipating heat from devices to a heat sink. Alignment of the heat-conducting two-dimensional filler particles enhances the thermal conductivity of the heat conduction sheet. In this study, we prepared polycrystalline diamond (PCD) flakes and then electrically aligned the PCD flakes in the through-plane direction of heat conduction sheet samples. The PCD flakes were fabricated by pulverizing a synthesized PCD thin layer. The typical size of the PCD flakes was ∼1 μm in thickness and ∼35 μm in diameter. The PCD flakes were electrically aligned in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix by applying alternating high voltage with parallel-plate electrodes. The heat conduction sheet containing 20 wt% aligned PCD flakes in the matrix exhibited high through-plane thermal conductivity of 0.47 W m−1 K−1, while that of the heat conduction sheet with aligned granular diamond filler particles was 0.37 W m−1 K−1. The high thermal conductivity comes from the formation of a large contact area between the filler particles and flake network by electrical alignment in the heat conduction sheet.

Acoustic shock wave-induced sp2-to-sp3-type phase transition-part II: Evidence of the presence of diamond from valance band spectra and electronic diffraction pattern

Here, we introduce a novel technique that utilizes repeated exposure to low-pressure (2.0 MPa) millisecond acoustic shock waves on a graphite sample to facilitate the successful transformation of graphite into diamond. This transformation is based on a martensitic nucleation mechanism verified through valance-band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and electron diffraction observations. Typically, diamond formation occurs only under pressures of 50–60 GPa or more in nanosecond dynamic compression experiments. The present work offers a new platform to make synthetic diamonds and a new scientific path for diamond formation.

Selective Plasma Treatment Endowing Low-Friction and Wear-Resistant Surface of Polycrystalline Diamond against Copper.

Despite its unrivaled hardness, polycrystalline diamond can be severely worn under the interaction with softer copper during the ultrafine copper wire drawing process. The influence of the polycrystalline diamond surface state on its friction behavior is investigated in this work, and argon, oxygen, and hydrogen plasma treatments are adopted to regulate the surface state of diamond. When sliding against copper, the original diamond plate exhibits a coefficient of friction (COF) exceeding 0.4, copper wears by transferring to the diamond, and diamond wears owing to the carbon cluster removal, as confirmed by the TOF-SIMS analyses of the obvious wear tracks. After hydrogen plasma treatment, the tribological performance of diamond sliding against copper is most significantly improved, in which the COF is more stable and reaches 0.18 with minimal wear debris. Hydrogen plasma treatment generates more hydrogen termination on the diamond surface as well as a hydrogen-containing amorphous carbon layer, which provides an isolated lubrication effect and strongly reduces adhesive wear. Argon plasma treatment also decreases the level of COF to a certain extent, which is attributed to its polishing and cleaning action that removes surface contamination and reduces roughness. In contrast, oxygen plasma treatment induces a pronounced etching effect, resulting in groove-like protrusions on the diamond surface that exacerbates abrasive wear. Our research provides a more sustainable and residue-free solution for minimizing friction and wear of polycrystalline diamond wire drawing dies.

MONOCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND MEMBRANES WITH A THICKNESS OF 10 MICRONS, MANUFACTURED BY PLASMA ETCHING

New applications of high-quality synthetic diamond in sensors and integrated photonic circuits, which are being rapidly developed nowdays, often demand freestanding diamond membranes with a thickness of about 10 microns as a substrate. However, the process of thin single-crystal diamond membranes fabrication, as well as their subsequent processing are challenging due to the high hardness, chemical resistance and brittleness of the material. Our work demonstrates a method for creating freestanding diamond membranes mounted on a thick diamond substrate using reactive ion etching of single-crystalline diamond wafers in plasma with mechanical protective masks. The optimal thickness of a diamond wafer for membranes etching is determined in the range from 100 to 120 µm with mandatory plane-parallel polishing of the sides. We experimentally studied the interaction of RF discharge SF6 based plasma with diamond surface during deep etching with mechanical protective masks of various shapes. It was found that the use of thick masks leads to an uneven rate of diamond etching over the entire area of the formed membrane. We have assessed ion sputtering resistance of various mask materials in SF6 based plasma, and found the most promising mask materials for deep diamond etching (steel, copper, diamond). We have fabricated diamond membranes with a thickness of 11,5 µm (and more), mounted on a durable 60 µm (and more) thick frames, and studied their characteristics. After etching membrane surface roughness was less than 25 nm, and the unevenness of their thickness did not exceed 20%. Also, we compare different methods for controlling the depth of diamond etching and the thickness of the resulting membranes, including mechanical measurements, IR spectral reflectometry, optical profilometry and electron microscopy. For citation: Golovanov A.V., Yun M.I., Bondarenko M.G., Prosin A.A., Tarelkin S.A. Monocrystalline diamond membranes with a thickness of 10 microns, manufactured by plasma etching. ChemChemTech [Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol.]. 2024. V. 67. N 10. P. 55-64. DOI: 10.6060/ivkkt.20246710.1y.

Dynamic annealing assisted near-surface structural and bond stabilization in high-temperature low-energy N2+ implanted diamond.

Nitrogen-rich ultra-thin (1-2nm thick) layers in diamond produced by high-temperature nitrogen ion (N2+) implantation at low N2+ energies studied by in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are reported. Nitrogen bonding at the subsurface region and its thermal stability, as well as structural defects in polycrystalline diamond (PCD) implanted with 200, 500, and 800eV N2+ at room temperature (RT) and 600 °C at an ion dose of 4.5 × 1014 ions/cm2, are investigated. Implantation at RT leads to nitrogen bonding at interstitial and substitutional sites in the diamond lattice, which is associated with the C-N/C=N bond, lower intensity of the C≡N (nitrile-like) component associated with nitrogen bonding with carbon defects, and quaternary nitrogen. The relative composition of these chemical states varies with implantation energy, temperature, and post-implantation annealing temperature. Upon annealing the RT implanted layers above 500-600 °C, the interstitial nitrogen converts to substitutional nitrogen. This process competes with nitrogen desorption. The thermal stability of nitrogen increases with implantation energy. Implantation at 600 °C at 800eV resulted in a significantly lower concentration of nitrile-like bonds and a lower density of structural defects compared to RT implantation at the same energy. These effects are associated with dynamic annealing, which becomes more significant at higher implantation energies. Upon high-temperature implantation, nitrogen mostly populates directly substitutional sites. Nitrogen implantation at low energy and high temperature may be a viable way to nitride diamond surfaces with reduced density of defects where nitrogen is selectively bonded to substitutional sites. Finally, a comparison between nitrogen implantation into PCD and Diamond (100) [Di(100)] surfaces is presented.

AlN as interlayer for effective thermal dissipation from gallium nitride to CVD diamond using nanocrystalline diamond seeding

AbstractWith the increasing power density achieved in gallium nitride (GaN) electronic devices, the thermal dissipation becomes a key issue that restricts their ultimate performances. However, the effective thermal boundary resistance (TBReff) between GaN and their heat spreader usually dominates the heat concentration. Here we introduce a super‐thin AlN interlayer with nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) seeding as the nucleation for the polycrystalline diamond (PCD) film growth on the GaN films. A thermal conductivity approaching 250 W/mK for the 1.2 μm‐thick PCD film is obtained. The TBReff between GaN and PCD films is estimated to be 5 m2K/GW, which is much smaller than that of the typical SiNx interlayer. Since AlN can be deposited simultaneously with the device structure, this work is promising to achieve the full potential of using diamond as the heat spreader for GaN‐based transistors.

Characteristics of silicon-based polycrystalline diamond MOSFETs prepared by three-step growth method

Hydrogen-terminated diamond (H-diamond) metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs) were successfully fabricated on polished first-grown and unpolished secondary-grown silicon-based polycrystalline diamond films. The devices have a gate length of 8 μm, while an Al2O3 dielectric bilayer was deposited at 200 °C and 100 °C using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Compared to the first-grown diamond films with a root-mean-square roughness (Rq) of 257 nm, the films after polishing and subsequent second growth change the diamond growth mode, resulting in a mixed surface morphology characterized by faceted and step-bunching structures with a roughness (Rq) of 16.6 nm, and also leading to a decrease in grain boundary density and polishing-induced defects. Device analysis demonstrates that these changes result in an increase in the on/off ratio from 102 to 107 at a gate leakage current of 10−7 mA/mm. Meanwhile, although polished first-grown diamond films have atomic-level smoothness, the devices channels on unpolished secondary-grown diamond films show higher carrier concentration and mobility. The improvement in device performance indicates that the three-step growth method provides a new opportunity for the application of large-sized silicon-based polycrystalline diamond films in electronic devices.

Microcrystalline and nanocrystalline structure of diamond films grown by MPCVD with nitrogen additions: Study of transitional synthesis conditions

This research explores the complex influence of nitrogen concentration and substrate temperature on the resultant properties of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) films grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In particular, we investigated the growth parameters to find the exact conditions for changing the morphology of the resulting film from microcrystalline (MCD) to nanocrystalline (NCD). A series of 2 µm-thick polycrystalline diamond films was grown on Si substrates in methane-hydrogen–nitrogen gas mixtures with varied: (i) nitrogen concentration (0–2 %) and (ii) substrate temperature (700–1050 °C). Comprehensive characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, were employed to assess the morphological, structural, and spectroscopic properties of the films. The study reveals that even minor additions of nitrogen significantly modulate secondary nucleation, impacting both film morphology and phase composition. Furthermore, substrate temperature emerges as another critical parameter, influencing the growth kinetics and crystallite size. The comparison of the characteristics of grown PCD films allowed us to find conditions for the formation of NCD films with minimal surface roughness and maximal growth rate: nitrogen concentration [N2] ≈ 0.2–0.5 % and temperature T ≈ 850–900 °C. These findings can be used to optimize the CVD synthesis parameters of PCD films for applications as protective or friction-reducing layers, as well as for superhard cutting tools and optical devices.

Drill bit hydraulic system for oil and gas boreholes

We set out to improve the existing design of a polycrystalline diamond bit with a steel or matrix body with the purpose of creating a hydro-monitoring effect. The research object was the hydraulic system of a diamond bit with a near-bit jet pump. The near-bit ejector system was studied by a theoretical analysis of the operation of the bit hydraulic system by means of canonical dependencies and hypotheses. A hydraulic system for a polycrystalline diamond bit is proposed. This system includes a high-pressure jet pump, which enhances the hydro-monitoring effect at the bottomhole. The main hydraulic characteristics of the bit flushing system with a jet pump are as follows: at a drilling pump feed of 18.4 l/s and a drilling fluid density of 1180 kg/m3, the working coefficient of jet pump injection equals 0.34; the working nozzle diameter equals 10.3 mm; the mixing chamber is 11.9 mm, bit hydromonitor nozzles are 11.1 mm; the number of hydromonitor nozzles is 3; the velocity at the exit of hydromonitor nozzles is 85.0 m/s; the pressure drop at the bit is 15.7 MPa. The possibility of using the hydro-monitoring effect enhanced by a near-bit jet pump was substantiated, since the velocity at the exit from the hydro-monitoring nozzles is sufficient to destroy most rocks (sandstone, limestone, dolomites, rock salt, gypsum stone, basalt, marble, granite). The jet pump in the proposed design of a polycrystalline diamond bit creates an additional circulation circuit above the bottomhole, injects cuttings from the annular space and feeds them to the hydro-monitor nozzles. This enables a more efficient destruction of the bottomhole rock. The power of hydro-monitor jets is sufficient to improve drilling performance.

Dynamics of charged and neutral silicon-vacancy color centers in electron-irradiated 28Si-doped single crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond upon annealing: Optical spectroscopy study

Diamond synthesis with silicon-vacancy (SiV) color centers is of high interest to nanophotonics and optical quantum technologies. The methods to control and/or maximize concentration of Si atoms incorporated in diamond lattice, and coupled to vacancies, together with improving crystallinity of diamond structure, are in demand. Here, we studied the effect of heat treatment of electron-irradiated single crystal CVD diamond doped with 28S isotope, on evolution of the neutral SiV0 and negatively charged SiV− centers. The crystal subjected to stepwise annealing at temperatures Tann from 200 °C to 1640 °C has been analyzed with photoluminescence (PL) and optical absorption spectroscopies at room and low-temperature (T = 5 K). We found a complex non-monotonous behavior of SiV0 and SiV− intensity both in absorption and PL, with sharp rise at Tann > 600 °C, reaching a maximum concentration peak, decline at 850 °C, and a repeated elevation to higher Tann, reflecting creation and annihilation processes of these defects. Moreover, we detected a group of seven lines of a Si-related defect in the range 828–871 nm, which strongly correlate with annealing dynamics of the SiV− and, especially, of SiV0 centers, and estimated the isotope spectral shift. In parallel, dynamics of other optical centers such as NV, R11 and GR1, in course of the annealing is traced. The controlled annealing opens the way to preparation of the SiV color centers with optimized optical properties, promising for quantum technologies.