Diamond surfaces
AssigneeSmiths Group PLC
InventorsWang Nang Wang, Neil Anthony Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diamond grit surface is formed on a substrate (1) having a metal surface (2), such as nickel, by applying a paste (4) of low-grade diamond grit in a binder to the surface. After driving off the binder, the diamond coated surface is placed in a reactor chamber (10) having a microwave plasma reactor (11) and connected to a hydrogen gas pump (12). The substrate (1) is heated in the hydrogen atmosphere at a reduced pressure. The metal surface (2) acts as a catalyst in the presence of the hydrogen plasma to cause regrowth of the diamond (6), giving an improved size, shape and adhesion. The method may be used to make diamond surfaces in electron emitter devices, circuit boards or abrasive devices.
Claims12
A method of forming a diamond surface comprising the steps of providing a metal surface (2), depositing a layer of diamond grit (6) onto the surface and subjecting the surface and diamond grit to a gaseous atmosphere at elevated temperature, the metal surface and gaseous atmosphere being selected to cause a catalytic regrowth of the diamond grit, and the metal surface being sufficiently thin that the metal surface is consumed by the treatment in the gaseous atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.