Diamond Electronics

Diamond is redefining what is possible in electronics. The unique properties of diamond make it the ultimate wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor material with exceptional voltage handling, heat dissipation, and radiation tolerance. Diamond electronics can enable huge efficiency gains in high power applications like data centers and electrical substations by eliminating the need for active cooling of components such as diodes and transistors. Diamond is also uniquely suited as a platform for ultra-fast switching electronics, heterojunction electronic devices, and more.

With individual microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactors dedicated to specific dopants and concentrations, Fraunhofer USA CMW can precisely tailor dopant concentration and layer thickness of p-type, n-type, and intrinsic diamond epilayers. Layers as thin as 1000 nm can be polished after growth resulting in nearly atomically flat surfaces. Thin, freestanding diamond epilayers have been demonstrated via ion implantation and separation and even grafted onto other semiconductor materials to make heterojunction devices.  

Fraunhofer USA CMW uses the M.F. Keck and ERC cleanroom facilities at Michigan State University, as well as the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility at the University of Michigan. 

Access to these facilities enables us to do all the necessary microfabrication techniques to produce all-diamond devices, such as diodes and transistors, as well as for co-integration with other semiconductor materials, such as SiC, GaN or AlN. 

Fabrication techniques include, but are not limited to:

• Contact metal deposition and annealing
• Metal, glass, and photoresist mask deposition and development
• Plasma etching of diamond and other semiconductors
• Deposition of insulators, such as SiO2, Al2O3, AlN, SiN
• Wire and die bonder
• Laser dicing system