CVD diamond for components and emitters

An attractive feature of diamond films is their ability to be excellent dielectric (undoped, resistivity > 10(14) Omega cm to > 400 degreesC) or interesting semiconductors/conductors (doped, resistivity similar to < 1 to 1 K Omega cm). Even as polycrystalline/nanocrystalline films (depending on process deposition conditions), their breakdown strength (as dielectric) and power density capability (as resistors) are interestingly large numbers, particularly for the domain of high temperature, high power applications. The development of nominally conventional patterning processes to manipulate the diamond films into capacitors, resistors and emitter configurations has led to an ability to characterize diamond-based components of practical form and function. In this paper characteristics of two of these diamond microelectronic elements, diamond microresistors and diamond emitters are reported. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.