A single-crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device and its working method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device for assisting the lateral growth of single-crystal diamonds, which relates to the field of diamond production technology. The device comprises: a plasma reaction chamber for generating a plasma ball; a base chamber connected to the plasma reaction chamber; a base provided in the base chamber, a flexible film provided on the inner wall of the base chamber at a first height, a mounting ring being sealed and connected to the base in the middle, and the mounting ring being detachably connected to the base; when the mounting ring is connected to the base, the flexible film, the mounting ring, and the base separate the base chamber into two parts, an upper part and an lower part; a three-axis drive mechanism for driving the base to move, thereby achieving movement of the base relative to / away from the mounting ring and lateral movement of the base and the plasma ball. During the diamond growth process, the present invention allows the substrate material to move laterally relative to the plasma ball, thereby achieving the effect of lateral growth of the diamond material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of diamond production, and in particular to a single crystal diamond lateral growth auxiliary device and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Diamond, with its exceptional properties, is widely used in many fields. However, natural diamonds are scarce and expensive, making it difficult to meet the high demand in various fields. Synthetic diamonds produced using the high-temperature, high-pressure method (HTHP) contain metal catalysts, which can affect the properties of diamonds. Currently, microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) technology can be used to grow high-quality synthetic diamonds on substrate surfaces.

[0003] However, the size of diamond material grown using existing microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition techniques is limited by the size of the plasma sphere. In other words, the larger the plasma sphere, the larger the diamond material grown. However, as the size of the plasma sphere increases, its density gradually decreases, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the diamond material.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a device that can free the size of the grown diamond material from the size limitation of the plasma ball is one of the problems that need to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve at least one of the technical problems mentioned in the background technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a single-crystal diamond lateral growth auxiliary device and a working method thereof, so that during the diamond growth process, the substrate material can move laterally relative to the plasma ball, forming an effect of lateral growth of the diamond material.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device, comprising:

[0008] A plasma reaction chamber, used for connecting with a microwave system to generate a plasma ball;

[0009] A base chamber is provided at the bottom of the plasma reaction chamber and is in communication with the plasma reaction chamber; a base is provided in the base chamber, a flexible film is provided on the inner wall of the base chamber at a first height, a mounting ring is sealed and connected to the middle of the flexible film, and the mounting ring is detachably connected to the base; when the mounting ring is connected to the base, the flexible film, the mounting ring, and the base separate the base chamber into upper and lower parts;

[0010] The three-axis driving mechanism is used to drive the base to move; the three-axis driving mechanism drives the base to rise and fall to achieve the base movement relative to / away from the mounting ring, and the three-axis driving mechanism drives the base to move in the horizontal plane to achieve the lateral movement of the base and the plasma ball.

[0011] In certain embodiments of the present invention, a first mounting portion for connecting to the flexible film is provided at the first height of the base cavity, and the first mounting portion is sealed to the outer edge of the flexible film.

[0012] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the first mounting portion is annular, and is provided with an air extraction port. The bottom of the air extraction port is connected to an air extraction pipe extending to the outside of the base cavity.

[0013] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the mounting ring and the base are threadedly engaged.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the three-axis drive mechanism includes:

[0015] A first slide rail is fixedly connected to one side of the base cavity along a horizontal direction, and a first slider is slidably fitted on the first slide rail;

[0016] a second slide rail, arranged in a horizontal direction and fixedly connected to the first slide block, wherein the second slide rail is slidably fitted with the second slide block;

[0017] The telescopic cylinder is arranged in a vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the second sliding block, and the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the base.

[0018] In certain embodiments of the present invention, a sliding sleeve is provided at the bottom of the base, and the sliding sleeve slides in cooperation with the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder in the vertical direction. A motor is provided in the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder, and the output end of the motor is fixedly connected to a connecting piece. A sliding groove is provided in the sliding sleeve, which slides in cooperation with the connecting piece in the vertical direction and is limited in the horizontal direction. When the motor is working, the base rotates with the connecting piece and the base can slide in the vertical direction relative to the telescopic end.

[0019] In certain embodiments of the present invention, a mounting platform for placing a mounting ring is provided in the base cavity at a second height lower than the first height. At the joints between the mounting platform and the mounting ring, one of them is provided with a circumferential limit strip, and the other is provided with a corresponding limit groove to prevent the mounting ring from rotating relative to the mounting platform.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the flexible film is made of silicon dioxide.

[0021] A method for operating a single crystal diamond lateral growth assist device comprises the following steps:

[0022] S1, placing the substrate material on the base;

[0023] S2, drives the base to rise until the base contacts the mounting ring;

[0024] S3, connecting the mounting ring to the abutment, dividing the abutment cavity into upper and lower parts;

[0025] S4, driving the base to continue to rise until the substrate material contacts the plasma ball;

[0026] S5, driving the base to move in the lateral direction, which is equivalent to the plasma ball, so that the diamond grows in the lateral direction of the substrate material.

[0027] In certain embodiments of the present invention, in S3, the method for connecting the mounting ring to the base is as follows:

[0028] The motor drives the connecting piece to rotate, and the base rotates with the connecting piece to form a relative rotation between the base and the mounting ring; the base and the mounting ring approach each other under the action of threaded cooperation, and during this process, the connecting piece and the sliding groove form a relative movement in the vertical direction.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0030] The present invention provides a mounting ring in the base cavity, and the mounting ring is set at a first height of the base cavity through a flexible film. The base and the mounting ring are detachably connected, and the flexible film can adapt to the lateral movement of the base, thereby realizing the lateral growth of diamond; on the other hand, when the base and the mounting ring are connected, the base cavity is divided into two parts, upper and lower parts. During the reaction process, the reaction gas can be prevented from entering the lower half, thereby improving the utilization rate of the reaction gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 It is an existing plasma chemical vapor deposition system.

[0032] Figure 2 The invention provides an improved plasma chemical vapor deposition system.

[0033] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a top cross-sectional view of the first mounting portion of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the three-axis drive mechanism of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the bottom surface structure of the base platform of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the lateral growth of diamond according to the present invention.

[0038] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the base position in the first state of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the base position in the second state of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the base position in the third state of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the base position in the fourth state of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention in the fourth state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] Example 1:

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the existing plasma chemical vapor deposition system primarily consists of a microwave system a1 and a reaction chamber a2. Its operating principle is as follows: microwaves are generated by a microwave source a11, which travels along a waveguide a12 to a mode converter. Driven by the mode converter 13, the microwaves enter the reaction chamber a2 through a quartz window and are excited above a base a21 into a plasma sphere a23. A three-screw impedance adapter a14, mounted on the waveguide a12, matches the impedance to minimize reflected power. A substrate material a22 is placed in the center of the base a21, close to the lower edge of the plasma sphere a23. Reactive gases (CH4, H2) are then introduced through the gas inlet, resulting in diamond growth on the substrate surface.

[0046] However, in this system, the growth size of the prepared diamond material is limited by the size of the plasma ball.

[0047] Example 2:

[0048] To address the issues of Example 1, this embodiment improves reaction chamber a2 in the plasma chemical vapor deposition system. Specifically, this embodiment proposes a single-crystal diamond lateral growth assist device a3, which replaces reaction chamber a2 in Example 1. This device allows the base to move horizontally relative to the plasma sphere during diamond deposition, thereby achieving lateral diamond growth.

[0049] For details, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The single crystal diamond lateral growth auxiliary device a3 includes a plasma reaction chamber 11, a base chamber 12 and a three-axis driving mechanism 2.

[0050] The plasma reaction chamber 11 is used to connect to the microwave system a1. A quartz window 110 is provided on the top of the plasma reaction chamber 11. Microwaves generated by the microwave system a1 enter the plasma reaction chamber through the quartz window 110 to generate the plasma ball 10.

[0051] It is worth mentioning that a plurality of gas inlets are provided on the peripheral side of the top of the plasma reaction chamber 11 for allowing the reaction gas (CH4, H2) to enter and exit.

[0052] The base chamber 12 is disposed at the bottom of the plasma reaction chamber 11 and communicates with the plasma reaction chamber 11 .

[0053] A base 13 is provided in the base cavity 12 . A flexible film 15 is provided on the inner wall of the base cavity 12 at a first height. A mounting ring 16 is sealed in the middle of the flexible film 15 . The mounting ring 16 is detachably connected to the base 13 .

[0054] At the same time, a discharge port 121 is also provided on the base cavity 12 for placing the substrate material 14 on the base 13 .

[0055] The flexible film is made of silicon dioxide, but other chemically stable and flexible materials may also be used.

[0056] like Figure 10 As shown, when the mounting ring 16 is connected to the base 13, the flexible membrane 15, mounting ring 16, and base 13 divide the base chamber into upper and lower sections. In this state, the reaction gases (CH4, H2) can be concentrated in the upper sections of the plasma reaction chamber 11 and base chamber 12 for reaction. The lower section of the base chamber 12 is primarily used to house the three-axis drive mechanism. If the reaction gases (CH4, H2) enter this lower section, they will not participate in the diamond material formation reaction, resulting in a large amount of reaction gas (CH4, H2) wasted.

[0057] In order to facilitate the installation of the flexible film 15 , a first installation portion 151 for connecting the flexible film 15 is provided at the first height of the base cavity 12 . The first installation portion 151 is sealed to the outer edge of the flexible film 15 .

[0058] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first mounting portion 151 is annular and is provided with an exhaust port 152. The bottom of the exhaust port 152 is connected to an exhaust pipe 153 extending to the outside of the base chamber 12. This allows the (initial) air or reaction gas in the upper part of the plasma reaction chamber 11 and the base chamber 12 to be exhausted.

[0059] The three-axis driving mechanism 2 is used to drive the base 13 to move. The driving of the three-axis driving mechanism 2 is divided into two categories:

[0060] 1. The three-axis drive mechanism 2 drives the base 13 to move up and down, so as to realize the movement of the base 13 relative to or away from the mounting ring 16. The function is to realize the connection or disconnection between the base 13 and the mounting ring 16.

[0061] Second, the three-axis driving mechanism 2 drives the base 13 to move in the horizontal plane to achieve lateral movement of the base 13 and the plasma ball 10 . The function is to enable the plasma ball 10 to deposit at different positions of the substrate material 14 .

[0062] like Figure 7 As shown, the dotted circle on the substrate material 14 represents the diamond deposited on the substrate material 14 by the plasma ball 10 at a certain moment. Figure 7 When the substrate material moves laterally in the direction indicated by the arrow, deposition is formed at different positions of the substrate material, that is, lateral growth. Therefore, it is only necessary to control the base 10 to move in the horizontal plane along the same direction as the substrate material. Figure 7 Moving in the opposite direction of the arrow can achieve the generation of large pieces of diamond material.

[0063] Please combine Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the three-axis driving mechanism 2 includes:

[0064] The first slide rail 21 is horizontally and fixedly connected to one side of the base cavity 12 . A first slider 22 is slidably fitted on the first slide rail 21 .

[0065] The second slide rail 23 is arranged in the horizontal direction and is fixedly connected to the first slider 22 . The second slider 24 is slidably fitted on the second slide rail 23 .

[0066] The telescopic cylinder 25 is arranged in the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the second sliding block 24 , and the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the base 13 .

[0067] Through the above structure, the base 13 can achieve lateral movement within the plane and vertical movement.

[0068] It is worth mentioning that, in order to further improve stability, two groups of the first slide rails 21 and the first sliders 22 are respectively provided, and are respectively provided on both sides of the second slide rail 23 .

[0069] In this embodiment, the mounting ring 16 is threadedly engaged with the base 13. Therefore, during the engagement of the mounting ring 16 and the base 13, the base 13 needs to be able to rotate.

[0070] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, in this embodiment, a sliding sleeve 131 is provided at the bottom of the base 13, and the sliding sleeve 131 slides and cooperates with the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 25 in the vertical direction. A motor 26 is provided in the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 25, and the output end of the motor 26 is fixedly connected with a connecting piece 261. A sliding groove 132 is provided in the sliding sleeve 131, which slides and cooperates with the connecting piece 261 in the vertical direction and is limited in the horizontal direction.

[0071] When the motor is working, the base 13 rotates along with the connecting piece 261 and the base 13 can slide in the vertical direction relative to the telescopic end to achieve threaded engagement with the mounting ring 16 .

[0072] At the same time, to achieve threaded engagement, the mounting ring 16 needs to be placed at a specific height in advance and limited in the circumferential direction to prevent the mounting ring 16 and the base 13 from rotating synchronously, which would result in failure of threaded engagement.

[0073] Therefore, please refer to Figure 3 , Figures 8 to 11 A mounting platform 17 for placing the mounting ring 16 is provided in the base cavity 12 at a second height lower than the first height. At the joints between the mounting platform 17 and the mounting ring 16, one of them is provided with a circumferential limit strip, and the other is provided with a corresponding limit groove to prevent the mounting ring 16 from rotating relative to the mounting platform 17.

[0074] In this embodiment, a limiting strip 171 is provided on the mounting platform 17 in the circumferential direction, and a corresponding limiting groove 161 is provided on the mounting ring 16. The arrangement position of the plane can be referred to Figure 4 Four dotted frames are arranged at intervals along the outer edge of the middle base 13.

[0075] It is worth mentioning that, in order to improve the sealing effect between the base 13 and the mounting ring 16 , the upper surface of the base 13 and the lower surface of the mounting ring 16 are provided with interlocking step structures.

[0076] Example 3:

[0077] This embodiment provides a plasma chemical vapor deposition system based on the lateral growth of single crystal diamond, including a microwave system and the single crystal diamond lateral growth auxiliary device as described in the second embodiment.

[0078] Example 4:

[0079] This embodiment provides a method for operating the single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to the second embodiment, comprising the following steps:

[0080] S1, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 8 , lower the base 13 until it is at the same height as the feed port 121 , and place the substrate material 14 on the base 13 ;

[0081] S2, such as Figure 9 As shown, the driving base 13 rises until the base 13 contacts the mounting ring 16. Since the base 13 and the mounting ring 16 are threaded, the rising motion of the base 13 should be stopped immediately at this moment.

[0082] S3, connect the mounting ring 16 to the base 13, dividing the base cavity 12 into two parts; the specific connection method is as follows:

[0083] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the motor 26 drives the connecting piece 261 to rotate. Since the circumference of the mounting ring 16 is restricted by the limiting strips 171 and the limiting grooves 16, the base 13 rotates along with the connecting piece 261, thereby achieving relative rotation between the base 13 and the mounting ring 16. The base 13 and the mounting ring 16 approach each other due to the threaded engagement, and during this process, the connecting piece 261 and the sliding groove 132 form a vertical relative motion.

[0084] S4, after the mounting ring 16 is connected to the base 13, Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the driving base 13 continues to rise until the substrate material 14 contacts the plasma ball 10 .

[0085] S5, driving the base 13 to move in the lateral direction equivalent to the plasma ball 10, so that the diamond grows in the lateral direction of the substrate material 14, thereby realizing the preparation of large pieces of diamond material.

[0086] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all variations that come within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A single crystal diamond lateral growth assist device, characterized in that: include: A plasma reaction chamber, used for connecting with a microwave system to generate a plasma ball; A base chamber is provided at the bottom of the plasma reaction chamber and is in communication with the plasma reaction chamber; a base is provided in the base chamber, a flexible film is provided on the inner wall of the base chamber at a first height, a mounting ring is sealed and connected to the middle of the flexible film, and the mounting ring is detachably connected to the base; when the mounting ring is connected to the base, the flexible film, the mounting ring, and the base separate the base chamber into upper and lower parts; A three-axis drive mechanism is used to drive the base to move; the three-axis drive mechanism drives the base to rise and fall to achieve the base's relative / away movement from the mounting ring, and the three-axis drive mechanism drives the base to move in the horizontal plane to achieve the lateral movement of the base and the plasma ball; The mounting ring and the base are threaded together; The three-axis driving mechanism includes: A first slide rail is fixedly connected to one side of the base cavity along a horizontal direction, and a first slider is slidably fitted on the first slide rail; a second slide rail, arranged in a horizontal direction and fixedly connected to the first slide block, wherein the second slide rail is slidably fitted with the second slide block; a telescopic cylinder, arranged in a vertical direction and fixedly connected to the second sliding block, wherein a telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the base; A sliding sleeve is provided at the bottom of the base, and the sliding sleeve is slidably matched with the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder in the vertical direction. A motor is provided in the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder, and a connecting piece is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor. A sliding groove is provided in the sliding sleeve, which is slidably matched with the connecting piece in the vertical direction and limited in the horizontal direction. When the motor is working, the base rotates with the connecting piece and the base can slide in the vertical direction relative to the telescopic end. A mounting platform for placing a mounting ring is provided in the base cavity at a second height lower than the first height. At the joints between the mounting platform and the mounting ring, one of them is provided with a circumferential limit strip, and the other is provided with a corresponding limit groove to prevent the mounting ring from rotating relative to the mounting platform.

2. The single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first mounting portion for connecting with the flexible film is provided at a first height of the base cavity, and the first mounting portion is sealed and connected to the outer edge of the flexible film.

3. The single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first mounting portion is annular and is provided with an air extraction port. The bottom of the air extraction port is connected to an air extraction pipeline extending to the outside of the base cavity.

4. The single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible film is made of silicon dioxide.

5. A method for operating a single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, placing the substrate material on the base; S2, drives the base to rise until the base contacts the mounting ring; S3, connecting the mounting ring to the abutment, dividing the abutment cavity into upper and lower parts; S4, driving the base to continue to rise until the substrate material contacts the plasma ball; S5, driving the base to move in the lateral direction, which is equivalent to the plasma ball, so that the diamond grows in the lateral direction of the substrate material.

6. The method for operating a single crystal diamond lateral growth assisting device according to claim 5, characterized in that: In S3, the connection method between the mounting ring and the base is as follows: The motor drives the connecting piece to rotate, and the base rotates with the connecting piece to form a relative rotation between the base and the mounting ring; the base and the mounting ring approach each other under the action of threaded cooperation, and during this process, the connecting piece and the sliding groove form a relative movement in the vertical direction.

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