The project seeks to overcome a major technical uncertainty underpinning a new class of highvoltage
diodes and switching devices based on single crystal synthetic diamond. Successful
completion will provide proof of concept for this approach.
By any benchmark, diamond is perceived to be the ultimate electronic material. However it
has proved difficult to introduce the active dopants needed to make devices incorporating
diamond analogous to semiconductor devices using other materials, such as silicon carbide.
The applicant has to-date successfully demonstrated the basis of an alternative scaleable
approach to utilising diamond whereby enhanced proprietary surface engineering techniques
are used create structures capable of injecting electrons into and through diamond thus
allowing the intrinsic properties of diamond to be fully exploited. However, to deliver
practical on-state voltages requires an additional step of the introduction of a thin film epitaxy,
with tailored properties, to fully optimise the electron injection mechanism.
This proof of concept project will therefore seek to develop this key diamond epitaxy step and
demonstrate its impact on reducing the turn-on voltages of diodes.
The work undertaken by this project addresses the key remaining uncertainty to the viability
of the applications and will pave the way forward to a technology platform for a family of
diode and ultimately switching devices that will permit large scale power electronic systems
to operate directly at the utility 11kV voltage level and above.