⚙️ Technical summary: accelerating crystallized diamond production at the wafer scale
The companies Element Six and Orbray have announced a new phase that strengthens their partnership to develop wafer-scale single crystal diamond (WSC™) production in a three-inch size, marking a qualitative leap in the quality and performance of materials used in industrial applications. This achievement opens wide horizons for adoption in advanced fields such as 6G wireless communications electronics, RF electronics, sensing technologies, as well as thermal management and quantum technologies.
The development of larger wafers (4 inches) and specialized 2-inch wafers dedicated to crystallization and thermal transfer applications parallels industrial efforts to increase the pace of production and move this technology from research and development stages to large-scale manufacturing.
🔧 Advanced partnership in manufacturing advanced materials
A partnership between Element Six and Orbray was established with the aim of developing wafer-scale single crystal diamond (WSC™) manufacturing technology in a way that enables large-scale production suitable for industrial uses. This technology relies on the advanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process at Element Six’s facility in Gresham, Oregon.
The importance of this partnership lies in achieving strict alignment between material quality and the industrial dimensions required, with the ability to control wafer size and efficiency in precision applications, making it ideal for meeting the needs of sectors such as power electronics and communications.
🔥 Technical developments in wafer size and properties
The two companies have succeeded in developing a repeatable manufacturing process to produce 3-inch single crystal wafers, which represent a notable advance compared with traditional smaller single crystal diamond.
In addition, work is underway to manufacture larger 4-inch wafers, as well as 2-inch wafers specifically oriented toward epitaxial applications and thermal bonding applications, while preparing them for massive industrial production.
🏭 From research and development to industrial production
The collaboration between Element Six and Orbray focuses on a set of key areas to transform advanced technology from the prototype stage into large-scale manufacturing:
- Improving stability and repeatability in wafer production processes.
- Increasing production rates to enable broad distribution in industrial applications.
- Ensuring material quality and uniformity across the entire wafer surface.
- Understanding the requirements of multiple applications, including high-frequency wireless electronics and thermal systems.
These steps embody a crucial stage in transforming single crystal diamond from an advanced engineering material used in research laboratories into a material suitable for industrial use in the manufacture of advanced systems.
🚗 Broad applications in mechanical and electronic engineering
The developed technology is fundamental to a range of emerging and advanced applications that require materials with superior thermal and electrical properties:
- 6G wireless communications components that need precise conductors and thermal placements.
- High-frequency power electronics, where excellent thermal conductivity plays a pivotal role in improving performance and safety.
- Advanced sensors that rely on material purity and unique properties to collect accurate data.
- Thermal management systems in engines and turbines to ensure temperature stability and improve operating efficiency.
- Using diamond in quantum technologies, which require impurity-free environments to ensure quantum state stability.
⚙️ The future of wafer-scale single crystal diamond production
With continuous progress in expanding wafer size and improving production processes in CVD facilities, the two companies expect this technology to become a new industrial standard thanks to the balance it achieves between production quality and material performance.
The current focus is on maximizing production batch sizes while maintaining the repeatability and quality that are a point of interest for highly technical industries.
It is worth noting that this type of material carries a significant opportunity to improve reliability and maintenance in thermal and mechanical systems that depend on high performance under harsh operating conditions.
🔧 Conclusion:
- Element Six and Orbray announced the development of wafer-scale single crystal diamond production at 3 inches, with plans to manufacture 4-inch and specialized 2-inch wafers.
- Advanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes are used to fully control the quality and properties of the produced diamond.
- Industrial applications include 6G technology, power electronics, sensing technologies, thermal management, and quantum technologies, all of which depend on superior mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance.
- Work is underway to move the technology from research and development to massive industrial production, supporting the entry of these materials into the industrial market more broadly and with greater impact.
This collaboration comes as an embodiment of a future vision to improve engineering materials and expand their industrial applications, representing a qualitative leap in the fields of mechanical engineering, thermal systems, and energy.
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