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The space shuttle presently uses diamond-coated low-friction hinges in various moving parts, but future uses may include diamond windows and diamond radiation-detectors in scientific instruments, and electronics with diamond heat-spreaders or flat panel displays with diamond-powered pixels.
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As methods for growing diamond, both at high pressure and by chemical vapor deposition, improve, and as science finds ways to take advantage of diamond's properties, the potential applications of diamond's superlative properties appear boundless. From super electronics, to indomitable optical windows, to unscratchable surfaces - maybe the next watch bezel - diamond is an obvious choice.
Schematic diagram of a sandwich, called a multi-chip module, that has a stack of 40 layers consisting of CVD diamond covered by an electronic chip. It is 10 cm square. This processor would have the computing capacity of the Cray 3, a supercomputer designed but never built. click to zoom |
Managing heat, particularly in electronics, with large layers of CVD diamond is a rapidly expanding field. One of the most imaginative of these is the three-dimensional multi-chip module, which holds out the promise of an extremely powerful
supercomputer. To gain speed, electronics need to be as compact as possible, concentrating waste heat as well. By stacking sandwiches of electronics and CVD diamond, a supercomputer could be made small and cool enough to function. Diamond windows for infrared devices are under development and should find their way into the tough environment of laser-guided smart bombs and more constructive uses in industry as well. The use of diamonds as radiation detectors, light emitters in electronic displays, and coatings to make surfaces indomitable or unwettable are being researched now. Beyond their imprint as a tool, diamonds will be showing up in more and more products in the future, probably in your home electronics, appliances, and automobiles.
Illustration by Brian Sullivan
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