Use of diamond in Microelectromechanical systems

[g0ggs123]

Hi I am doing a research project into the use of diamond in MEMS and I've got a few questions for anyone who knows a bit about this field:

1) What are the major uses of diamond in MEMS (I haven't found nearly as many as I would have expected)?

2) Is Microwave plasma CVD the best way for coating elements such as Silicon with diamond in thin film coatings? Is PVD as good as CVD?

3) Is there any advantage of coating with a carbon-diamond structure rather than fully diamond to get say a finer surface finish and thus less after-machining?

4) What are the major disadvantages other than cost which can be ignored in this field?


Any help would be much appreciated

 

[KataKoniK]

!

Hello, thank you for your interest in diamond use in MEMS. As a scientist in this field, I can provide some answers to your questions:

1) The major uses of diamond in MEMS include its high strength and hardness, chemical inertness, and biocompatibility. These properties make it suitable for applications such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, actuators, and microfluidic devices.

2) Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a commonly used method for coating elements with diamond in thin film coatings due to its ability to produce high-quality diamond films with high growth rates. However, physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques such as sputtering and evaporation can also be used for coating elements with diamond, but they may not produce films with the same level of quality and adhesion as CVD.

3) Coating with a carbon-diamond structure, also known as diamond-like carbon (DLC), can provide a finer surface finish compared to fully diamond coatings. This can be advantageous for applications that require a smoother surface, such as in microfluidic devices where surface roughness can affect fluid flow.

4) Some major disadvantages of using diamond in MEMS include the high cost of producing diamond films and the difficulty in integrating diamond with other materials due to its high thermal expansion coefficient. Additionally, diamond can be difficult to pattern and etch, which can limit its use in certain applications.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to ask. Best of luck with your research project!