EP0272418A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and process to condensate diamond
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1987-11-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-11-05
Abstract
Abstract A mixture of hydrogen and methane gases is subjected to combined thermal heating and microwave radiation to form a gas plasma which is caused to condense on a substrate as diamond form of carbon.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Richard Anthony
- 👤 Robert Charles Devries
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:07
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/517; C23C16/22; C23C16/26; C23C16/27; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/10; C30B29/00; C30B29/02; C30B29/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
240 words
An apparatus useful in the production of diamond by the CVD method comprising in combination (a) a reaction chamber, (b) gas inlet means in said reaction chamber introduce a gas mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases therein to flow into said chamber, (c) exit means connected to said reaction chamber to evacuate gas therefrom and to establish flow of gas through said reaction chamber, (d) a metallic electrical resistance heater member in said reaction chamber adjacent said gas inlet means and positioned so that the flow of gas from said gas inlet means flows over said heater member, (e) a substrate mounted in said reaction chamber adjacent said heater member to be impinged by the gas flow over said electrical resistance heater in said reaction chamber, (f) electrical connection means associated with said heater member to connect said heater member to a source of electrical power to raise the temperature of said heater member to above about 2000°C. to provide a reaction surface for the gas flow in said reaction chamber, (g) a wave energy generator associated with said reaction chamber and adapted to inject wave energy into the gas flowing in said reaction chamber and against said heater member and said substrate to generate a gas plasma with atomic hydrogen therein adjacent said substrate so that the gas plasma is caused to condense on said substrate and deposit diamond form of carbon thereon as condensate from said gas plasma.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
240 words
An apparatus useful in the production of diamond by the CVD method comprising in combination (a) a reaction chamber, (b) gas inlet means in said reaction chamber introduce a gas mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases therein to flow into said chamber, (c) exit means connected to said reaction chamber to evacuate gas therefrom and to establish flow of gas through said reaction chamber, (d) a metallic electrical resistance heater member in said reaction chamber adjacent said gas inlet means and positioned so that the flow of gas from said gas inlet means flows over said heater member, (e) a substrate mounted in said reaction chamber adjacent said heater member to be impinged by the gas flow over said electrical resistance heater in said reaction chamber, (f) electrical connection means associated with said heater member to connect said heater member to a source of electrical power to raise the temperature of said heater member to above about 2000°C. to provide a reaction surface for the gas flow in said reaction chamber, (g) a wave energy generator associated with said reaction chamber and adapted to inject wave energy into the gas flowing in said reaction chamber and against said heater member and said substrate to generate a gas plasma with atomic hydrogen therein adjacent said substrate so that the gas plasma is caused to condense on said substrate and deposit diamond form of carbon thereon as condensate from said gas plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention as recited in Claim 1 wherein said wave energy generator is an electromagnetic wave generator adapted to generate microwave energy and inject said microwave energy into the flow of gas in said reaction chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention as recited in Claim 2 wherein said resistor heater member is a tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, or alloys thereof, metal wire coil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein said substrate is a non-metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein said substrate comprises carbon filaments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein said non-metal is boron or a boron-containing compound.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein said non-metal is graphite.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein an additional electrical resistance heater coil is associated with said substrate to raise the temperature thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein substrate comprises a liquid metal or alloy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention as recited in Claim 3 wherein said substrate metal is molybdenum.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
99 words
A CVD process for producing the diamond form of carbon from the condensation of a carbonaceous gas comprising (1) generating a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases in a reaction chamber, (2) passing said mixture of gases across a refractory metal surface heated to above about 2000°C., (3) concurrently subjecting said mixture of gases to electromagnetic wave energy to generate a gas plasma having a significant quantity of atomic hydrogen therein, (4) heating a substrate in said reaction chamber to deposit the diamond form of carbon on said substrate, (5) removing the diamond form of carbon from said substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
99 words
A CVD process for producing the diamond form of carbon from the condensation of a carbonaceous gas comprising (1) generating a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases in a reaction chamber, (2) passing said mixture of gases across a refractory metal surface heated to above about 2000°C., (3) concurrently subjecting said mixture of gases to electromagnetic wave energy to generate a gas plasma having a significant quantity of atomic hydrogen therein, (4) heating a substrate in said reaction chamber to deposit the diamond form of carbon on said substrate, (5) removing the diamond form of carbon from said substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of Claim 11 wherein said refractory metal surface is tungsten.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of Claim 11 wherein said substrate is a refractory metal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of Claim 11 wherein said substrate is molybdenum metal foil.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of Claim 11 wherein the temperature of said substrate is in the range of from about 1000°C. to about 2500°C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of Claim 11 wherein said substrate is a non-metal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of Claim 16 wherein said substrate comprises loose carbon filaments.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
The diamond form of carbon obtained by the process comprising (1) generating a mixture of hydrogen and methane gases passing through a reaction chamber, (2) concurrently subjecting said mixture of gases to (a) a reaction surface heated to above about 2000°C. and (b) electromagnetic wave energy against said reaction surface and said substrate to form a gas plasma in said gas mixture with a significant quantity of atomic hydrogen therein, (3) condensing said gas plasma on a substrate surface to deposit diamond form of carbon on said surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
88 words
The diamond form of carbon obtained by the process comprising (1) generating a mixture of hydrogen and methane gases passing through a reaction chamber, (2) concurrently subjecting said mixture of gases to (a) a reaction surface heated to above about 2000°C. and (b) electromagnetic wave energy against said reaction surface and said substrate to form a gas plasma in said gas mixture with a significant quantity of atomic hydrogen therein, (3) condensing said gas plasma on a substrate surface to deposit diamond form of carbon on said surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The diamond form of carbon of Claim 18 in single crystal polyhedral form.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
11 words
The diamond form of carbon of Claim 18 in polycrystalline form.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
The diamond form of carbon of Claim 18 having electrical semiconductive characteristics.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The diamond form of carbon of Claim 18 comprising a laminate structure of a plurality of planar laminae in flat stacked relationship and each lamina being coextensively and tightly bonded to adjacent lamina in coalescing relationship.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The diamond of Claim 22 wherein one of said lamina has electrical semiconductive characteristics differing from those of an adjacent lamina.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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