Fast Growth of Large Diamond Crystals in Open Air

该奖项的研究目标是阐明在露天非金刚石衬底上生长克拉级大金刚石晶体的机制，以供工业应用。本研究将建立一种利用激光振动共振激发生长金刚石的合成策略。将使用乙烯、乙炔和氧气的气体混合物作为前体。使用可调谐二氧化碳激光器，将诱导分子的烯烃基团的振动共振激发，以促进化学反应并增强金刚石生长。此外，还将使用紫外波长的准分子激光来提高金刚石晶体的质量。该研究项目将开发一种简单、低成本的合成大型金刚石晶体的方法。研究结果将为金刚石生长创造一个新的方向，并扩大工业金刚石用途的范围，超越目前在电子，光学，机械切割和传感器等领域的应用。金刚石合成的成本节约将通过使用普通的碳氢化合物气体作为前体来实现。此外，使用这种技术，预期可以以低得多的成本实现许多更复杂的金刚石晶体和器件。该技术还有望为制造大规模金刚石结构提供一种简单可行的途径。

The research objective of this award is to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for growth of large diamond crystals at carat levels on non-diamond substrates in open air for industrial applications. The proposed research will establish a synthetic strategy using laser vibrational-resonant excitation in diamond growth. A gas mixture of ethylene, acetylene and oxygen will be used as precursors. Using a tunable carbon dioxide laser, vibrational resonant excitations of the alkene group of molecules will be induced to promote chemical reactions and enhance diamond growth. An excimer laser with ultraviolet wavelength will also be used to improve the quality of the diamond crystals. Deliverables include a laser system configured for fast growth of diamond crystals in air, documentation of research results, and engineering student education.This research project will develop a simple, low-cost approach for synthesizing large diamond crystals. The research results will create a new direction for diamond growth and expand the horizon for industrial diamond uses beyond the current applications in electronics, optics, mechanical cutting and sensors, to name a few. The cost savings for diamond synthesis will be realized through the use of common hydrocarbon gases as precursors. Additionally, using this technique it is expected that many more complicated diamond crystals and devices can be realized at a much lower cost. The technique also has the promise of enabling an easy and viable route for fabricating large-scale diamond structures.