Diamond Dry Etching Process (RIE or ICP-RIE)

Diamond is a carbon-based material with a crystal lattice structure. This material is known for the highest hardness in natural bulk materials, and is used for industrial cutting tools. Recently many researchers are getting interested in device research using this material due to its unique material properties.

• Hardness : 10 (Mohs scale)
• Bandgap : 5.45 eV
• Breakdown Field : 10 MV/cm
• Electron Mobility : 1800 cm²/V･s
• Thermal Conductivity : 22 W/(cm·K) (13.5 times that of Silicon)

One of the promising device applications of diamond is the diamond-based power transistor. Currently, Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) power electronics are actively being developed to replace conventional silicon-based power devices with high breakdown voltage, high speed switching and low on-resistance. Diamond can be another candidate material for power electronics due to its high thermal conductivity.

Another application is the diamond photodetector. The diamond photodetector has several advantages including low noise and high sensitivity over conventional silicon-based devices. Also, diamond-based quantum device is another interesting application. In terms of device fabrication for sensors and electronics, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technologies are used for epitaxial growth. Although the manufacturing cost of a diamond substrate is still a huge challenge, the material can see “brilliant” future in next-generation electronics.