3D Porous Diamond Fabrication via Substrate Template Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing porous diamonds result in composite materials in powder form or require substrates, limiting the fabrication of large-sized, standalone, three-dimensional (3D) porous diamond structures without substrates.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a substrate with pre-defined pores, where hydrocarbon and hydrogen gases react to deposit activated carbon atoms, forming a diamond structure that replicates the substrate's shape and porosity, allowing for the removal of the substrate to produce a pure, 3D porous diamond with controlled thickness and porosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If high temperature and high pressure route using porous carbon as precursor is used, then porous diamond can be produced, but the resultant porous diamond is in powder form and is a composite of diamond and other materials, not suitable for larger sized monoliths
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the manufacturing into distinct phases: first forming a porous diamond layer on a substrate using CVD, then selectively removing the substrate through the pores. This segmentation allows the diamond to be grown in a controlled manner as a coherent structure rather than aggregated powder particles, enabling monolithic forms while maintaining purity.
Solution Approach 2:
A substrate serves as an intermediary medium during the diamond formation process. The substrate provides a template for controlled diamond deposition and a pathway for subsequent removal. This intermediary approach enables the formation of large-sized porous diamond structures that would be difficult to achieve directly from powder aggregation.
2Volume of moving object
If chemical vapor deposition or plasma deposition method is used, then porous diamond of larger dimensions can be produced, but a standalone large size porous diamond has never been fabricated without a substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is extracted or removed from the final product through the pores after diamond deposition. This extraction process transforms the structure from a substrate-dependent composite to a standalone porous diamond monolith, enabling the diamond to exist independently while maintaining its porous architecture and large dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is prepared in advance with specific pore structures and properties that facilitate both the diamond deposition process and the subsequent removal process. This preliminary preparation of the substrate with appropriate porosity and composition enables the eventual creation of a standalone structure.
3Quantity of substance
If porous carbon precursor is used in high temperature and high pressure process, then porous diamond can be formed, but the product is a composite of nanosize diamond powder and other materials
Solution Approach 1:
The diamond deposition occurs locally on the substrate surface through controlled CVD processes, allowing pure diamond to form in the porous structure without incorporating other materials. This local deposition approach ensures that only diamond carbon is deposited in the pore spaces, eliminating the composite nature of HTHP methods while maintaining high production quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The process parameters are changed from high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) to chemical vapor deposition conditions. This parameter change enables pure diamond formation through selective chemical deposition rather than phase transformation of composite materials, producing large quantities of pure porous diamond without other materials present.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the creation of large-sized, pure, 3D porous diamond structures with controlled porosity and mechanical strength, suitable for various applications including filtration, structural reinforcement, and thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
heating a reactant hydrocarbon gas and reactant hydrogen in a filament, wherein the reactant hydrocarbon gas and reactant hydrogen react to form a product gas
Implementation Method 2
depositing an activated carbon atom from the product gas onto the substrate
Implementation Method 3
the activated carbon atom reacts with the substrate to form a diamond structure on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A process for manufacturing a porous diamond having a tridimensional (3D) structure. The process comprises the steps of using a substrate with a pre-defined shape and a plurality of pores of a defined porosity shape and size, heating a reactant hydrocarbon gas and reactant hydrogen in a filament to form a product gas, depositing an activated carbon atom from the product gas onto the substrate, wherein the activated carbon atom reacts with the substrate to form a diamond structure on the substrate, and completely removing the substrate to obtain the 3D pure porous diamond structure, wherein the 3D pure porous diamond structure is formed entirely of diamond and is identical in shape and porosity shape and size of the plurality of pores as that of the substrate. The 3D pure porous diamond structure formed is of a controlled thickness and porosity, and devoid of the substrate.