Researchers Find New Phase of Carbon, Make Diamond at Room Temperature
December 2, 2015 | North Carolina State UniversityEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
“We can create diamond nanoneedles or microneedles, nanodots, or large-area diamond films, with applications for drug delivery, industrial processes and for creating high-temperature switches and power electronics,” Narayan says. “These diamond objects have a single-crystalline structure, making them stronger than polycrystalline materials. And it is all done at room temperature and at ambient atmosphere – we’re basically using a laser like the ones used for laser eye surgery. So, not only does this allow us to develop new applications, but the process itself is relatively inexpensive.”
And, if researchers want to convert more of the Q-carbon to diamond, they can simply repeat the laser-pulse/cooling process.
If Q-carbon is harder than diamond, why would someone want to make diamond nanodots instead of Q-carbon ones? Because we still have a lot to learn about this new material.
“We can make Q-carbon films, and we’re learning its properties, but we are still in the early stages of understanding how to manipulate it,” Narayan says. “We know a lot about diamond, so we can make diamond nanodots. We don’t yet know how to make Q-carbon nanodots or microneedles. That’s something we’re working on.”
NC State has filed two provisional patents on the Q-carbon and diamond creation techniques.
The work is described in two papers, both of which were co-authored by NC State Ph.D. student Anagh Bhaumik. “Novel Phase of Carbon, Ferromagnetism and Conversion into Diamond” will be published online Nov. 30 in the Journal of Applied Physics. “Direct conversion of amorphous carbon into diamond at ambient pressures and temperatures in air” was published Oct. 7 in the journal APL Materials.
Page 2 of 2Suggested Items
New Book on Low-temperature Soldering Now Available
04/17/2024 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is pleased to announce that The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Low-temperature Soldering, Vol. 2, by subject matter experts at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, is now available for download.
The Chemical Connection: Reducing Etch System Water Usage, Part 1
04/05/2024 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionWater conservation has become an important component of the overall system design for most manufacturing operations today. Changing climate conditions and increasing populations are beginning to strain the freshwater supplies in many areas of the country. As a result, as equipment suppliers, we see an increasing number of requests for options that reduce water usage in proposed wet processing systems. Etching systems tend to use more water because of the need for close temperature control to maintain steady etch rates and the rinsing requirements for complete removal of corrosive etchants from the surface of the product before the next process step. This column contains some simple suggestions for reducing water usage in etch systems that won’t strain the budget too much.
Indium’s Sze Pei Lim to Present on Semiconductor Packaging at ICEP Japan
04/02/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation’s Senior Global Product Manager for Semiconductor and Advanced Materials, Sze Pei Lim, is scheduled to present at the International Conference on Electronics Packaging (ICEP 2024).
Nihon Superior Sets New Standards in Lead-Free Soldering Technology at APEX 2024
03/13/2024 | PVANihon Superior Co. Ltd., an advanced joining material supplier, will exhibit in Booth 1325 during the 2024 IPC APEX EXPO, scheduled to take place April 9-11, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
Indium Corporation to Showcase Proven EV Products and High-Reliability Alloys at Productronica China
02/28/2024 | Indium CorporationAs a materials pioneer and trusted partner in electric vehicle (EV) and e-Mobility manufacturing, Indium Corporation is proud to showcase its high-reliability alloys and soldering solutions at Productronica China, March 20-22, in Shanghai.