Epitaxial growth on nickel-plated diamond seeds at high pressure and high temperature

Epitaxial growth on nickel-plated diamond seeds at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) was observed with graphite as carbon source. The thickness of the electroplating nickel film which acts as a catalyst/solvent ranges from 54.6 mu m to 255.6 mu m. The relationship between the Ni film thickness and diamond growth rate is investigated. When the nickel film thickness is from 90 mu m to 129 mu m, diamond crystals can nearly grow up to three times as large as the original seeds at similar to 5.8 GPa and similar to 1460 degrees C within 14 min. The mechanism of the crystal growth with nickel-plated diamond seeds under HPHT is discussed. The results and techniques might be useful for high quality saw-grade diamonds production and large diamond single crystal growth. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.