Diamond In Computer Industry

Diamonds manufacturing technology has been known since the mid 19th century. Man-made diamonds were created for industrial purposes such as drill bits, saw blades and grinding wheels. First cultured diamonds appeared on the market late in 2003. Nowadays, a company based in Florida can produce quality man-made 3-carat quality diamonds 24\7 at a cost of less than a hundred dollars.

Such companies as Gemesis and Apollo are producing diamonds at a price that is only 15 percent less than that of mined diamonds. These companies are using diamond jewelry business to finance their entry into the semiconductor industry. 

Diamonds wafers can be of real use in computer industry. Nowadays, large silicon wafers that are about 300 millimeters in diameter are used by Intel to produce semiconductors. The problem is that silicon melts, if the temperature is very high. And since computer chips get smaller and faster they run hotter and hotter. Diamonds can stand a very high temperature, so they can be successfully used in wafers. In 2003 the Apollo Diamond company created a 10 mm square diamond wafer, and promise to go even further and create a 4 inch wafer within five years.

Europe and Japan are very much interested in diamond semiconductor research.  Japan has invested over $6 million dollars a year in producing the first-generation diamond computer chip and may become a leader in this industry.

It’s not that easy to convert silicon based semiconductors to diamond based ones. It will take scientist about ten years to carry out research on this topic. Also several things must happen to make diamonds work in computer industry:

• Diamonds must become widely available. Mined diamonds are not enough, as diamonds mining has been monopolized by De Beers Diamond Trading Company for over 115 years. So the company is the only supplier of natural diamonds. The answer is cultured diamonds which are now widely available.
• The price must come down. Nowadays this problem of the cost has been almost overcome. Gemesis Company produces diamonds at a price of 100 dollars per a three carat stone. Apollo Diamond Company manufactures diamonds at a cost of 5 dollars for carat.
• Another problem is that diamonds do not conduct electricity. So some changes must be made to make these stones able to conduct negative and positive charge. As for the positive charge, scientists have found out that if boron is added during the lattice formation of a diamond it will be able to conduct a positive charge. Boron also makes a diamond a bit bluish. Also diamonds with negative charge have become possible to produce. Such countries as Israel and France have found the way how to do this.