sp3 Diamond Technologies delivers the highest quality dresser bars to the grinding industry with DiaDress™, for use in fabricating single point, blade-type, or roller type dressers.

Diamond dressers are cutting tools, so their usefulness is in direct proportion to their sharpness. Dull diamonds produce a dull wheel, but a good sharp diamond that is properly set, such as sp3's DiaDress™, will give more pieces on a dressing than a large flat diamond, or than other substitutes that may glaze the grinding wheel.

Grinding is a cutting operation in which the small cutting edges on the grains of the grinding wheel are like tiny, cutting teeth. They must be kept sharp to achieve a free cut and to produce a satisfactory finish on the workpiece material. Dressing, also known as wheel dressing, is the process of re-sharpening the tiny cutting edges on the grinding wheel.

sp3 delivers pure CVD diamond in its DiaDress™ dresser bars to offer the hardest available diamond point for dressing tools. DiaDress™' inherent hardness allows the dressing tools to fracture the grains of the grinding wheel, or remove the dull grains entirely, to produce new, sharp, edges. At the same time, the DiaDress™ dresser cleans out the tiny spaces between the grains, thereby removing workpiece residue and other particles which otherwise could eventually clog the pores of the grinding wheel face and make it dull.

Dressing grinding wheels consumes production time, and frequent dressing wastes the grinding wheel; implementing DiaDress™ for dressing applications shortens dressing time and increases the amount of time between dressings, making it ideal for this application and leading to significant savings in both time and materials.

Dressing tips:

• To ensure a sharp cutting point at all times, longer wheel life and greater wheel efficiency, turn single point diamond dressers frequently.

• Diamond dressers are precision tools and should be treated accordingly. Care should be taken not to bump the tool against the wheel, as the resulting shock may result in fracture or complete destruction of the diamond.

• When grinding dry - dress dry. But, allow frequent intervals for the diamond to cool, otherwise burning or fracture may result.

• A slow traverse gives a high finish, but too slow will glaze the grinding wheel. A fast traverse results in a freer cutting wheel.

• Always take the last dressing pass in the opposite direction from the last pass the work will take, to eliminate diamond marks in the wheel.

Products & Services:
DiaTherm™      Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services

sp3 Diamond Technologies is your partner for high heat flux thermal management applications, with its CVD diamond DiaTherm™ heat spreaders for device level approaches and its Silicon-on-Diamond (SOD) wafers for circuit level challenges. Emerging microelectronic components -- such as high speed processors, wide bandgap Radio Frequency and power conversion devices and opto-electronic devices (LEDs, Laser Diodes) -- generate exceptionally high heat densities that require innovative approaches to thermal management.

The materials commonly implemented to dissipate heat are reaching the limits of their thermal conductivity, forcing the global electronics manufacturing market to consider alternatives. Freestanding diamond has tremendous potential for electronics applications, because it significantly improves upon current strategies for thermal management, while remaining highly cost-competitive with more esoteric approaches. Implementing the intrinsic characteristics of diamond, sp3 Diamond Technologies developed DiaTherm™ heat spreaders for those applications that can no longer be cooled by traditional passive heat dissipation materials.

DiaTherm™, with its 1000 to 1400W/mK thermal conductivity has demonstrated its ability to improve a devices' reliability margin or provide longer lifetime, while increasing power by up to 300 percent (in the case of lasers and LEDs). This is possible through the decrease in device junction temperature, achieved by the rapid removal of heat due to the extreme thermal conductivity of diamond.

DiaTherm™ is available in custom sizes either as bare material or as patterned, metallized segments ready for device attachment. SOD wafers are currently being developed as 100 mm substrates but can be available in other dimensions.

For more information on sp3 products and services for thermal management applications, please see:

DiaTherm™      Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services

Products & Services:
Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services      Contract Research

sp3 Diamond Technologies is a leader in developing diamond for use in mainstream semiconductor manufacturing. Wafer scale diamond (as available in our Silicon-on-Diamond and Diamond-on-Silicon products) offers enhanced mechanical material properties, such as significantly higher stiffness, strength, hardness, thermal conductivity and chemical robustness, over silicon and most other thin-film materials commonly used in microfabrication technologies.

sp3's diamond coatings are finding increasing use in electronic applications because of the high thermal conductivity of diamond (10x that of silicon). Coatings up to 25 microns thick on 300 mm silicon wafers provide excellent heat spreading at the chip level. Silicon-diamond-silicon wafers have been used successfully as base wafers for gallium nitride growth. Nanocrystalline diamond coatings are being used in MEMS applications. Diamond coatings also provide electrical insulation, but can be doped for electrical conductivity if needed.

Depositing diamond material as close to the heat generating junctions as is possible results in a structure where the thermal conductivity of the diamond layer immediately spreads heat away from the junction and reduces junction temperatures, or correspondingly allows operation at much higher speeds and power levels for the same junction temperature. Diamond substrates can be used directly for silicon devices, MEMS devices or can be used as starting substrates for compound semiconductor layers such as GaN, which can be grown on silicon using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques.

sp3 Diamond Technologies' proprietary hot filament diamond deposition systems are widely used to produce highly uniform diamond films on silicon wafers ranging from 50 mm to 300 mm. The chamber accommodates nine 100 mm wafers, four 150 mm wafers, two 200 mm wafers or one 300 mm wafer. Coatings are of high quality, with a uniformity within ±10% over the entire wafer surface.

For more information on sp3 products and services for semiconductor-related applications, please see:

Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services      Contract Research

Products & Services:
Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services      Contract Research

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have design needs that offer a compelling case for the adoption of diamond as a base material. sp3 Diamond Technologies can provide wafer-scale diamond films for research and development to incorporate diamond into MEMS. This capability is provided directly, or through processes available from the MEMS and Nano-Technology Exchange.

Diamond's properties make it ideal for use in MEMS devices, because it can address both thermal and mechanical management issues.

The high thermal conductivity of diamond enables thin-film diamond coatings to be used in MEMS, photonic and microelectronic devices for improved thermal management. The high Young's modulus of diamond allows the operational frequency of MEMS RF resonators to be pushed into the GHz frequency bands. Because of diamond's hardness, thin-film diamond may protect MEMS and nanodevices against surface wear. Its high lubricity will contribute to low stiction. Additionally, diamond's low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) provides an increased thermal stability over current silicon approaches. This is extremely important as MEMS resonators try to move into critical timing applications.

Implementing diamond in a MEMS design further enhances the longevity and functionality of these devices, as the micromechanical elements wear less, with better thermal management for the microelectronic components. MEMS devices are easily realizable using standard lithography and the ability of CVD diamond structures to be fabricated using standard reactive ion etch (RIE) processes.

MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange

Highlighting our leadership in this emerging field, sp3 has incorporated our diamond-on-silicon (DOS) foundry service into processes offered by the MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange. This provides MEMS and Nanotechnology developers with easy access to sp3's proprietary CVD diamond films and to the thermal, mechanical and wear benefits of diamond in concert with the other process steps of their designs.

The MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange is the nation's leading provider of high-quality foundry and consulting services. Its 54, individual state-of-the-art foundries collectively offer the most comprehensive and diverse set of implementation solutions for MEMS, micro- and nano-technologies to be found anywhere in the world. The MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange customer list includes nearly 600 organizations around the country including multinational corporations, small start-ups, leading academic research institutions and government facilities.

For more information on sp3 products and services for MEMS-related applications, please see:

Silicon-on-Diamond      Diamond-on-Silicon      CVD Diamond Deposition Equipment      Wafer Coating Services      Contract Research

sp3 Diamond Technologies’ super smooth chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond nanocrystalline and microcrystalline films are highly suited for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning. sp3’s CVD diamond films provide an excellent coating for harsh or demanding environments where the hardness of diamond, its extremely low coefficient of friction, its abrasion resistance and its excellent thermal properties, surpass all other alternatives.

An emerging material for CMP pad conditioning, controlled roughness diamond is ideal for use in silicon wafer manufacturing as the industry moves to 22nm and lower geometries that require use of a highly caustic copper (Cu) and tungsten (W) slurry environment. Diamond-coated surfaces are better able to withstand the harsh chemical environments typical for both types of applications, whether it is abrasive pumping or hot water, where lubrication is poor, or in the corrosive slurry environment of Cu or W CMP. In these environments, diamond’s hardness and chemical resistance combine to significantly extend the life of the pad conditioner.

In the last 3-5 years, there has been a shift towards using CVD diamond films directly on CMP pad conditioners for the 45nm node and below. A key driver has been the move towards Cu CMP and the fact that the wear properties and chemical inertness of diamond can accommodate the chemical/caustic aspect of the slurries. Not only are end-users developing pad conditioners using CVD diamond films to structure them for specific pad and slurry combinations, but they are also making use of advances in production equipment to continue to drive down costs.

In addition to providing CVD diamond coating services for CMP pad conditioners, sp3 also offers the diamond deposition reactors for sale. sp3’s reactors allow customers to grow super smooth or controlled roughness diamond coatings as a process step within their own facility. sp3 has 19+ years of expertise in deposition for CMP applications and can provide existing process recipes that enable customers to achieve the CVD diamond film characteristics required for their unique CMP application.

Market success story:

sp3 developed a CVD diamond-based pad conditioner used to prepare the polishing pads for CMP of semiconductor wafers. A thin layer of CVD diamond was grown on a silicon wafer; diamond grit of a specific size was then arrayed on the wafer and an additional layer of CVD diamond was grown, epitaxialy bonding the grit between two layers of CVD diamond. sp3 technology was required as the product could only be produced in a reactor with horizontal filaments. The pad conditioners were supplied in both 50mm and 100mm diameters and sold to a leading pad conditioner manufacturer, which achieved good market penetration.

sp3 Diamond Technologies delivers industry-leading boron doped diamond (BDD) films for electrodes that offer lower erosion rates, longer lifetime, high electrical conductivity and improved signal to noise ratio. BDD, in the form of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) films, has been extensively studied and proven as an ideal electrode material for electrochemical environments. This is a consequence of its very wide potential window in aqueous and non-aqueous media, low background current and corrosion stability in chemically aggressive media.

BDD is extremely durable under harsh electrochemical conditions. Its wide electrochemical window enables a broader range of voltage sweep and the lower background current allows for higher sensitivity and lower detection limits. BDD exhibits high chemical and electrochemical stability, making it an attractive candidate as a microelectrode sensor material, and its biocompatibility makes it suitable for various applications such as:

• Water and waste water treatment (oxidation of organic contaminants)

• Water disinfection (ozone production on electrode surface)

• Production of strong oxidizers

• Bioelectrochemical applications

• Electro analytical applications

• Photochemistry

• Electro-synthesis (e.g. Fluorine gas production)

sp3 Diamond Technologies’ BDD films are grown by the company’s proprietary hot filament CVD reactors, which offer flexibility and customization to its customers, including the ability to deposit films on 3D designs. Using this proven system, sp3 supplies diamond-on-silicon wafers coated to a variety of specifications.

sp3’s hot filament CVD process provides for uniform diamond growth over large areas (exceeding 350mm by 375mm), while its BDD process allows for the flexibility of a larger temperature range and customized boron concentration to accommodate customers’ specific applications. sp3’s BDD has a weak molecular absorption that provides improved fouling resistance and is extremely stable in chemically aggressive media, offering good stability at high temperatures and current densities for optimal performance.

Diamond is inherently inert – it is not affected by acids or other harsh chemicals. It has an extremely low wear rate and exhibits low birefringence indicative of low strain. Due to these characteristics, depositing a polycrystalline thin film diamond coating on wear parts and surfaces can significantly extend both their useful life and reliability.

sp3 can successfully grow thin film CVD diamond on customer furnished items made of silicon carbide, cemented carbide and silicon nitride in a wide variety of shapes when extreme wear resistance is required. sp3’s proprietary hot-filament technology allows the uniform growth of smooth CVD diamond films with surface finishes better than 0.2 micron Ra.

Applications include:

• form tools

• wear parts

• pivots

• bearing seals

• wire guides/dies

• nozzles