Diamond Foundry Grows World's Largest Single Crystal

(IDEX Online) - US lab grown producer Diamond Foundry says it has produced the world's largest single-crystal diamond, measuring 200mm in diameter, twice the size of its previous record-setting achievement.

The term "single crystal" means the diamond, which has been grown for electronic components rather than the gem trade, is one continuous piece of diamond in which the carbon atoms maintain the same orderly structure throughout, rather than being made up of numerous smaller crystals joined together.

Producing a crystal this large is exceptionally difficult. Variations in temperature, plasma conditions or chemical composition can introduce defects, impurities or changes in crystal orientation. Maintaining a consistent atomic structure across a 20cm diameter makes the process particularly challenging.

The 200mm crystal can be sliced into thin, circular discs, known as wafers, retaining its diameter. These provide the base material for manufacturing electronic components. Larger wafers offer more production area, potentially allowing more components to be made from each disc.

Diamond Foundry was founded in San Francisco in 2012 and initially built its business around manufacturing gem-quality lab-grown diamonds. It also operates VRAI, its direct-to-consumer jewelry brand, specializing in engagement rings and fine jewelry.

But the company has increasingly turned towards industrial applications, seeking to use its diamond-growing technology in markets beyond jewelry.

Its move into large single-crystal production accelerated with its 2022 acquisition of German specialist Augsburg Diamond Technology, known as Audiatec, which had developed technology for growing crystals up to 100mm in diameter.

The new 200mm crystal doubles that diameter. Diamond Foundry said the achievement followed 25 years of research and development involving crystal growth, plasma physics, reactor engineering and process control.

The attraction of diamonds as semiconductors is the exceptional ability to conduct heat. Powerful computer processors, particularly those used in artificial intelligence, generate enormous amounts of heat. Diamond could help carry that heat away, improving the performance and reliability of electronic equipment. It is also being developed for use in semiconductor substrates and high-power electronics.

Diamond Foundry is also developing a major manufacturing facility in Trujillo, Spain, intended to produce synthetic diamonds for semiconductor and other industrial applications. The project underlines its ambition to establish a business beyond the jewelry market.

The images released by the company show the 200mm crystal in its as-grown, unpolished state. It has not provided details of polishing, surface flatness, internal defect levels, manufacturing yields, production costs or customer qualification.

The crystal will need to be sliced, polished and processed to exacting specifications before it can be used in commercial semiconductor manufacturing. Diamond is extremely hard, making these operations difficult and expensive.

Pic, courtesy Diamond Foundry, shows the 200mm single-crystal diamond.