# US 7,781,257 B2 · Electrical switching device and method of embedding catalytic material in a diamond substrate

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,781,257 B2
- Document ID: US7781257B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/302,462
- Filed: 2007-05-16
- Published: 2009-07-23
- Granted: 2010-08-24
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-13
- Assignees: Evince Technology Limited
- Inventors: Gareth Andrew Taylor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7781257B2

## CPC

- H10D 62/8303: {Diamond}
- H10D 8/00: Diodes (variable-capacitance diodes H10D1/64; gated diodes H10D12/00)
- H10D 8/051: {of Schottky diodes}
- H10D 12/021: {of gated diodes, e.g. field-controlled diodes [FCD]}
- H10D 12/211: {Gated diodes}
- H10D 48/031: {of three-or-more electrode devices}
- H10D 64/0114: {to diamond, semiconducting diamond-like carbon or graphene}
- H10D 64/23: Electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. sources, drains, anodes or cathodes
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

An electrical switching device (30) is disclosed. The device comprises a diamond substrate (24), a cathode (34) in contact with the substrate and having electrically conductive emitters (32) extending into the substrate, and an upper electrode (36) in contact with the substrate and spaced from the cathode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of modifying a substrate including at least one layer of diamond material, the method comprising:
depositing at least one catalytic material on at least predetermined regions of diamond material of said substrate;
causing at least part of said diamond material in contact with at least part of said catalytic material to be converted into non-diamond carbon; and
causing at least part of said catalytic material to penetrate said substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising causing said catalytic material on said predetermined regions of said diamond material to form separated regions of catalytic material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of causing at least one said catalytic material to form a plurality of separated regions comprises heating said material in the presence of at least one plasma discharge containing at least one reducing component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein at least part of said diamond material in contact with at least part of said catalytic material is caused to be converted into non-diamond carbon by means of heating.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying at least part of a surface of said substrate prior to depositing said catalytic material thereon to reduce reactivity of said catalytic material with said substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising forming at least one region of non-diamond carbon damage to diamond material on a surface of said substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one said catalytic material is patterned by means of a lithographic process.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein at least part of said catalytic material is caused to penetrate said substrate by means of heating the substrate in the presence of a dc biased magnetic and/or electric field.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8, wherein at least part of said catalytic material may be caused to penetrate the substrate by means of at least one plasma discharge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising removing non-diamond carbon by means of at least one plasma discharge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method according to claim 10, further comprising modulating at least one said discharge.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method of manufacturing an electrical device, the method comprising;
forming at least one hole in a substrate by means of a method according to claim 1;
filling at least on hole with an electrically conductive material;
forming at least one first electrode in contact with said substrate and filled hole; and
forming at least one second electrode in contact with said substrate and spaced from the or each said first electrode.