Apparatus and method for diamond production

An apparatus for diamond production in a deposition chamber, comprising:

• a heat-sinking holder for holding a diamond and for making thermal contact with a side surface of the diamond adjacent to an edge of a growth surface of the diamond. wherein a top edge of the heat-sinking holder is at a distance of 0-1,5 millimeters below a top surface of the diamond;
• a noncontact temperature measurement device positioned to measure temperature of the diamond across the top surface of the diamond;
• and
• a main process controller for receiving a temperature measurement from the noncontact temperature measurement device,
• wherein the diamond is slidably mounted within the heat-sinking holder and mounted on a first actuator member that translates along an axis substantially perpendicular to the to surface of the diamond, and
• wherein the noncontact temperature measurement device is an infrared pyrometer.

A specimen holder assembly for diamond production, comprising:

• a heat-sinking holder for holding a diamond;
• a first actuator member that translates along an axis in a first direction for moving the heat-sinking holder;
• a second actuator member that translates along an axis in the first direction for maintaining the distance between the top surface of the diamond and a top edge of the heat-sinking holder;
• and
• a stage for receiving thermal energy from the heat-sinking holder.