Self-supporting diamond filaments

Abstract

Filamentous substrates are coated with diamond by a chemical vapor deposin process. The substrate may then be etched away to form a diamond filament. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate is copper-coated graphite. The copper initially passivates the graphite, permitting diamond nucleation thereon. As deposition continues, the copper-coated graphite is etched away by the active hydrogen used in the deposition process. As a result a substrateless diamond tubule is formed. Diamond-coated and diamond filaments are useful as reinforcement materials for composites, as filtration media in chemical and purification processes, in biomedical applications as probes and medicinal dispensers, and in such esoteric areas as chaff media for jamming RF frequencies.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.