Element Six Gmbh

Element Six Technologies Limited

Alexander Lamb Cullen

John Robert Brandon

Joseph Michael Dodson

Christopher John Howard Wort

Stephen David Williams

Geoffrey Alan Scarsbrook

Timothy Peter Mollart

Charles Simon James Pickles

Jonathan James Wilman

Carlton Nigel Dodge

Steven Edward Coe

Paul Nicolas Inglis

Christopher John Wort

Charles Simon Pickles

A microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing synthetic diamond material via chemical vapour deposition includes a microwave generator configured to generate microwaves at a frequency f, a plasma chamber that defines a resonance cavity for supporting a microwave resonance mode, a microwave coupling configuration for feeding microwaves from the microwave generator into the plasma chamber, a gas flow system for feeding process gases into the plasma chamber and removing them therefrom, and a substrate holder disposed in the plasma chamber and having a supporting surface for supporting a substrate on which the synthetic diamond material is to be deposited in use. The resonance cavity is configured to have a height that supports a TMresonant mode at the frequency f and is further configured to have a diameter that satisfies the condition that a ratio of the resonance cavity height/the resonance cavity diameter is in the range 0.3 to 1.0.

Microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing synthetic diamond material

A microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing synthetic diamond material via chemical vapor deposition, the microwave plasma reactor comprising: a microwave generator configured to generate microwaves at a frequency f; a plasma chamber comprising a base, a top plate, and a side wall extending from said base to said top plate defining a resonance cavity for supporting a microwave resonance mode, wherein the resonance cavity has a central rotational axis of symmetry extending from the base to the top plate, and wherein the top plate is mounted across said central rotational axis of symmetry; a microwave coupling configuration for feeding microwaves from the microwave generator into the plasma chamber; a gas flow system for feeding process gases into the plasma chamber and removing them therefrom; and a substrate holder disposed in the plasma chamber and comprising a supporting surface for supporting a substrate on which the synthetic diamond material is to be deposited in use; wherein the resonance cavity is configured to have a height, as measured from the base to the top plate of the plasma chamber, which supports a TMresonant mode between the base and the top plate at said frequency f, and wherein the resonance cavity is further configured to have a diameter, as measured at a height less than 50% of the height of the resonance cavity as measured from the base, which satisfies the condition that a ratio of the resonance cavity height/the resonance cavity diameter is in the range 0.3 to 1.0.

The present disclosure relates to substrates for use in microwave plasma reactors. Certain substrates include a cylindrical disc of a carbide forming refractory metal having a flat growth surface on which CVD diamond is to be grown and a flat supporting surface opposed to said growth surface. The cylindrical disc may have a diameter of 80 mm or more. The growth surface may have a flatness variation no more than 100 mm The supporting surface may have a flatness variation no more than 100 mm.

Microwave plasma reactors and substrates for synthetic diamond manufacture

A microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing a synthetic diamond material via chemical vapour deposition, the microwave plasma reactor comprising: a plasma chamber (); a substrate holder () disposed in the plasma chamber for supporting a substrate on which the synthetic diamond material is to be deposited in use; a microwave coupling configuration () for feeding microwaves from a microwave generator () into the plasma chamber; and a gas flow system () for feeding process gases into the plasma chamber and removing them therefrom, wherein the microwave coupling configuration for feeding microwaves from the microwave generator into the plasma chamber comprises: an annular dielectric window () formed in one or several sections; a coaxial waveguide () having a central inner conductor () and an outer conductor () for feeding microwaves to the annular dielectric window; and a waveguide plate () comprising a plurality of apertures () disposed in an annular configuration with a plurality of arms () extending between the apertures, each aperture forming a waveguide for coupling microwaves towards the plasma chamber.

A microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing synthetic diamond material via chemical vapor deposition, the microwave plasma reactor comprising: a microwave generator configured to generate microwaves at a frequency f; a plasma chamber comprising a base, a top plate, and a side wall extending from said base to said top plate defining a resonance cavity for supporting a microwave resonance mode between the base and the top plate; a microwave coupling configuration for feeding microwaves from the microwave generator into the plasma chamber; a gas flow system for feeding process gases into the plasma chamber and removing them therefrom; a substrate holder disposed in the plasma chamber and comprising a supporting surface for supporting a substrate; and a substrate disposed on the supporting surface, the substrate having a growth surface on which the synthetic diamond material is to be deposited in use, wherein the substrate dimensions and location within the resonance cavity are selected to generate a localized axisymmetric Eelectric field profile across the growth surface in use, the localized axisymmetric Eelectric field profile comprising a substantially flat central portion bound by a ring of higher electric field, the substantially flat central portion extending over at least 60% of an area of the growth surface of the substrate and having an Eelectric field variation of no more than &#xb1;10% of a central Eelectric field strength, the ring of higher electric field being disposed around the central portion and having a peak Eelectric field strength in a range 10% to 50% higher than the central Eelectric field strength.

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Ascot, United Kingdom

Alexander Lamb Cullen