Smiths Industries Public Limited Company

University of Bristol

Smiths Group Plc

Other

Neil Anthony Fox

Thomas Scott

Wang Nang Wang

Hugo Dominguez Andrade

Chris Hutson

Liam Payne

Keith C Rawlings

Peter Michael Tyler

Peter Seats

Gordon Robson Mackenzie

Edward Jd Mahoney

Tomas Liam Martin

Alexander Croot

Kane Michael O'Donnell

Provided herein is a diamond gammavoltaic cell comprising: a diamond body having a diamond body surface including first and second opposing surfaces; a low-barrier electrical contact formed on the first surface; and a high-barrier electrical contact formed on the second surface, wherein the diamond body surface that is not in contact with either the low-barrier electrical contact or the high-barrier electrical contact is at least partially surface transfer doped to provide a p-type surface.

Diamond gammavoltaic cell

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for producing diamond includes providing a CVD Growth Chamber containing a growth substrate, charging the CVD growth chamber with a source gas mixture that includes a carbon source gas, activating the gas mixture to facilitate growth of diamond on the growth substrate, and providing for a period of diamond growth in a static mode during which the gas mixture is sealed within the CVD growth chamber.

Chemical vapor deposition process for producing diamond

A radiation powered device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a semiconductor disposed between the first and second electrodes, and a radioactive source configured to generate a flow of electrons through the semiconductor between the first and second electrodes, wherein the semiconductor comprises diamond material, wherein the radioactive source is embedded within the diamond material, wherein the radioactive source comprises a beta-emitting radioisotope, and atoms of the radioisotope are either substitutionally or interstitially integrated into the diamond material, wherein the diamond material comprises a plurality of regions in the form of layers within a continuous crystal lattice of the diamond material, and wherein at least one layer of the diamond material comprises the radioactive source and at least one layer of the diamond material does not comprise the radioactive source.

Radiation powered devices comprising diamond material and electrical power sources for radiation powered devices

Provided herein is a radiation powered device comprising a semiconductor comprising a diamond material.

A surface with a low work function is formed from a starting material of diamond or diamond-like carbon. An oxygenation treatment is performed, so that the surface of the diamond or diamond-like carbon is oxygenated. Lithium is then deposited onto the oxygenated surface by means of a physical vapour deposition process. Excess lithium is then removed to form a lithium monolayer.

Low work function diamond surface and radiation energy converters using same

An electron emitter, such as for a display, has a substrate and regions of n-type material and p-type material on the substrate arranged such that there is an interface junction between the regions exposed directly to vacuum for the liberation of electrons. The p-type region may be a thin layer on top of the n-type region or the two regions may be layers on adjacent parts of the substrate with adjacent edges forming the interface junction. Alternatively, there many be multiple interface junctions formed by p-type particles or by both p-type and n-type particles. The particles may be deposited on the substrate by an ink-jet printing technique. The p-type material is preferably diamond, which may be activated to exhibit negative electron affinity.

Electron-emitting devices

Parallel cathode electrodes extend across the base plate of a display. Each electrode has teeth projecting from both sides, the teeth of adjacent electrodes being closely spaced from one another by a gap that is bridged by a dot of an electron emitter material. A glass screen spaced by a vacuum gap above the base plate carries transparent anode stripes extending transversely of the cathode electrodes and a fluorescent layer of colored phosphors on the anode stripes. A voltage applied between adjacent cathode electrodes and gates conduction via each electron emitter dot. A voltage applied to an anode stripe causes a part of the current from the emitter directly below the stripe to be directed towards the anode, thereby illuminating the phosphor pixel above the emitter.

Field-emission display

A diamond grit surface is formed on a substrate (,) having a metal surface (,), such as nickel, by applying a paste (,) of low-grade diamond grit in a binder to the surface. After driving off the binder, the diamond coated surface is placed in a reactor chamber (,) having a microwave plasma reactor (,) and connected to a hydrogen gas pump (,). The substrate (,) is heated in the hydrogen atmosphere at a reduced pressure. The metal surface (,) acts as a catalyst in the presence of the hydrogen plasma to cause regrowth of the diamond (,), giving an improved size, shape and adhesion. The method may be used to make diamond surfaces in electron emitter devices, circuit boards or abrasive devices.

Diamond surfaces

An electron emitter (2) has a semiconductor substrate (20) doped with an n-type region (21). A diamond layer (24) is doped by ion implantation with a p-type dopant to form a graded dopant profile region (27) that increases away from the upper surface of the diamond layer (24) and a thin insulating region (28) separating the p-type region (27) from the n-type region (21). The emitter (2) has a first electrical contact (23) on a lower surface of the substrate (20) and a second electrical contact (25) on the upper surface of the diamond layer (24) such that a voltage can be applied across the emitter (2) to cause tunneling of electrons from the n-type region (21) through the insulating region (28) into the p-type region (27), causing emission of electrons from an exposed surface (29). A lamp or display (1) includes several such electron emitters (2) and contains gas at reduced pressure, which is ionized by the emitted electrons, thereby generating UV radiation, which causes a fluorescent layer (5) on a transparent window (3) to produce visible light.

Diamond electron emitter

A cold cathode electrode for a discharge lamp has a metal substrate supporting a layer of diamond, so as to increase the electron yield of the electrode. The substrate may be a helical nickel wire with a layer of diamond forming it into a continuous tube.

Electrodes and lamps

A multi-color display has a matrix of cells containing an ionizable gas and fluorescent layers (18) that fluoresce with different colors. The display has rows of cathodes (21) and anodes (20) one of each of which is exposed within each cell so that individual cells can be energized. Each cathode (21) has at least one field-emitter (23) which may be either an uncoated cone, a cone coated with a material with a negative electron affinity, such as a diamond film (27), or formed with a negative electron affinity material, such as diamond. Cells may include an aluminum layer (17) and a dielectric layer (16) for reflecting UV and VUV radiation.

Plasma display Panel with field emitters

Electrodes 11 and 12 in a cold-cathode discharge lamp have a row of holes 13 arranged side-by-side along their length. The holes are formed by laser machining and extend at an angle of between about 25.degree. and 35.degree. to the normal, the holes in the two electrodes being oppositely inclined.

Gas discharge electrodes

A solid-state display comprises a glass plate on which is deposited an upper layer of parallel conductive tracks interrupted by recesses containing regions of conductive or semiconductive phosphor. An array of ballistic transistors within a semiconductor layer is in alignment on one side with the phosphor regions and on the other side with lower conductive tracks which extend at right angles to the tracks in the upper layer. When a voltage is applied to one of the tracks in the upper layer which is positive with respect to the voltage applied to one of the lower tracks it causes one of the transistors to emit electrons upwardly into the adjacent phosphor region. This causes fluorescence of the region and the emission of light through the glass plate.

Displays

The electrodes of a flat panel cold cathode discharge lamp are each formed from a block of metal with holes arranged side-by-side along the electrode which open into the gas-discharge volume of the lamp. The holes extend at an angle of about 25-35 degrees away from the normal to the surface of the electrode and are formed by laser machining.

Gas discharge electrodes and lamps

A multicolor display has an LCD display unit with a matrix array of energizable regions. Below the unit are three planar discharge lamps mounted one above the other which emit respectively blue, red and green light. Each lamp has an array of transparent pillars which support opposite plates of the lamps and which are aligned with one another and with the energizable regions of the display unit.

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Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Neil Anthony Fox