US 7,547,358 B1 · System and method for diamond deposition using a liquid-solvent carbon-transfer mechanism

Abstract

A system and method for growing diamond crystals from diamond crystal seeds by epitaxial deposition at low temperatures and atmospheric and comparatively low pressures. A solvent is circulated (by thermal convection and/or pumping), wherein carbon is added in a hot leg, transfers to a cold leg having, in some embodiments, a range of progressively lowered temperatures and concentrations of carbon via the circulating solvent, and deposits layer-by-layer on diamond seeds located at the progressively lower temperatures since as diamond deposits the carbon concentration lowers and the temperature is lowered to keep the solvent supersaturated. The solvent includes metal(s) or compound(s) that have low melting temperatures and transfer carbon at comparatively low temperatures. A controller receives parameter signals from a variety of sensors located in the system, processes these signals, and optimizes diamond deposition by outputting the necessary control signals to a plurality of control devices (e.g., valves, heaters, coolers, pumps).

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for growing diamond crystal, the method comprising:

heating a carbon-bearing molten solvent;
adding carbon solute to the carbon-bearing molten solvent in order to produce a solution of the molten solvent and an amount of carbon;
flowing the solution across a distance from a first diamond-deposition location to a second diamond-deposition location, the second location being downstream of the first location;
cooling the flowing solution across the distance while substantially maintaining a temperature gradient from a first temperature at the first location in the flowing solution to a second temperature at the second location, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the cooling includes flowing a cooling fluid in a counter-flow direction relative to the flow of the solution;
and
depositing carbon in diamond crystal structure from the flowing solution onto at least one diamond-deposition surface, wherein the depositing of carbon in diamond crystal structure occurs substantially concurrently at both the first location at the first temperature and the second location at the second temperature.

3 more elements

An apparatus for growing diamond crystal, the apparatus comprising:

a vessel that includes:
a carbon-addition station configured to heat a carbon-bearing molten solvent and add an amount of carbon to the carbon-bearing molten solvent in order to produce a solution of the molten solvent and the amount of carbon,
a diamond-deposition station configured to receive the solution from the carbon-addition station and cool the solution across a distance from a first diamond-deposition location in the flowing solution to a second diamond-deposition location in the flowing solution, the second location being downstream of the first location in the solution, wherein the diamond-deposition station includes a counter-flow cooling system thermally coupled to the diamond-deposition station and configured to substantially maintain a temperature gradient in the flowing solution from a first temperature at the first location to a second temperature at the second location, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and wherein the diamond-deposition station is configured to deposit carbon in diamond crystal structure from the solution at the first and second locations in the temperature gradient onto at least one diamond-deposition surface, wherein the deposition of carbon in diamond crystal structure occurs at both the first location at the first temperature and the second location at the second temperature, and
a solution-flow system configured to flow the solution through the carbon-addition station and to and through the diamond-deposition station.

1 more element

An apparatus for growing diamond crystal, the apparatus comprising:

means for heating a carbon-bearing molten solvent;
means for adding carbon solute to the carbon-bearing molten solvent in order to produce a solution of the molten solvent and an amount of carbon;
means for flowing the solution;
means for cooling the flowing solution across a distance in the flowing solution and substantially maintaining a temperature gradient from a first temperature at a first location in the flowing solution to a second temperature at a second location further downstream than the first location in the flowing solution, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, wherein the means for cooling includes means for flowing a cooling fluid in a counter-flow direction relative to the flow of the solution;
and
means for depositing carbon in diamond crystal structure from the flowing solution onto at least one diamond-deposition surface, wherein the depositing of carbon in diamond crystal structure occurs at both the first location at the first temperature and the second location at the second temperature.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for diamond deposition using a liquid-solvent carbon-transfer mechanism

Life of this patent

System and method for diamond deposition using a liquid-solvent carbon-transfer mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27