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AssigneeDiamond Innovations, Inc.
InventorsMark Philip D'Evelyn, Dong-Sil Park, Thomas Richard Anthony, Clifford Lawrence Spiro, Yue Meng, Christopher Allen Long
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An element-doped diamond crystal is disclosed herein. The crystal includes at least one dopant element which has a greater concentration toward or near an outermost surface of the crystal than in the center of the crystal. The concentration of the dopant element is at a local minimum at least about 5 micrometers below the surface. The concentration-profile of the dopant element for these diamond crystals causes an expansion of the diamond lattice, thereby generating tangential compressive stresses at the surface of the diamond crystal. These stresses beneficially increase the compressive fracture strength of the diamond.
A three-dimensional faceted synthetic diamond crystal for use in a tool, the diamond crystal comprising at least one dopant element being selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, and combinations thereof, wherein nitrogen is dissolved in the crystal, and wherein the concentration of nitrogen exceeds the total concentration of dopant elements, and having a greater concentration toward or near an outermost surface of the crystal than in the center of the crystal, wherein the concentration of the dopant element is at a local minimum at least about 5 micrometers below the surface,
A tool comprising a plurality of diamond crystals embedded therein, wherein each of the plurality of diamond crystals has a diamond lattice and comprises at least one dopant element selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, and combinations thereof, wherein nitrogen is dissolved in the crystal, and wherein the concentration of nitrogen exceeds the total concentration of dopant elements, and wherein the dopant element is present in a concentration that causes the diamond lattice to expand toward or near an outermost surface of the crystal, thereby generating tangential compressive stresses at the surface of the crystal which increase the compressive fracture strength of the diamond crystal.
A tool comprising a plurality of diamond crystals embedded therein, wherein each of the plurality of diamond crystals is a three-dimensional faceted synthetic diamond crystal having a diamond lattice and comprising at least one dopant element, the dopant element being selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, and combinations thereof, wherein nitrogen is dissolved in the crystal, and wherein the concentration of nitrogen exceeds the total concentration of dopant element the dopant element being present in a concentration that is greater toward or near an outermost surface of the diamond crystal than in the center of the diamond crystal, the concentration of the dopant element having a local minimum at least about 5 micrometers below the surface, wherein the concentration of the dopant element causes the diamond lattice to expand toward or near the outermost surface, thereby generating tangential compressive stresses in the range of between about 10 to about 5000 megapascals (MPa) at the surface of the crystal which increases the compressive fracture strength of the diamond crystal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.