Diamond epitaxial layer for power device application

We have developed the growth of diamond layers on diamond substrate  for more than 15 years. Our know-how enables us to control the doping and the thicknesses of material with a unique precision and quality. Today, we manage to grow diamond at the state of the art with electronic quality. We can provide bare-die device ready material from regular volume for industrial companies to single substrate structures for university and R&D labs.

Applications

Diamond is a next generation semiconductor material for high power electronic application with their unique electrical and thermal properties. Diamond is also ideal for high temperature device applications. DiamFab’s expertise in diamond epitaxy builds on more 15 years of experience. Since the beginning we have developed original concepts to control growth and doping up to metallic conduction.

Advantages and benefits

Currently, diamond involves an important investment and is in competition with other materials (SiC and GaN). However, the expected performances are better allowing to company working in power conversion a net size reduction of the component, and a race to high voltage and high current. With the future society which will request a high efficiency for energy and a worldwide distribution, diamond as new material is a unique candidate.

Who we are ?

DiamFab is a pre-incubation company from Institut Néel laboratory in Grenoble, France.  Involved in several domains related to wide band gap semiconductors, our group has developed a recognized know-how in the growth of diamond layers on diamond substrate for more than 15 years. Our know-how enables us to control the doping and the thicknesses of material with a unique precision and quality which allow us to grow “electronic grade” diamond.  Therefore DiamFab will enhance this expertise to provide bare-die device ready material from single substrate structures for university and R&D labs to regular volume for industrial companies.

Four members of the wide band gap semiconductor group of Institut Néel laboratory are involved in DiamFab project: Etienne Gheeraert (Scientific Expert), Julien Pernot (Scientific Expert), David Eon (Project Manager) and Gauthier Chicot (Semiconductor Expert).

Equipements

Three reactors have been dedicated to diamond growth in a hydrogen/methane microwave plasma cavity. With these reactors, plasma working at medium pressure drives heating of gas phase by electrons allowing high surface temperature and reactive species creation. We also add diborane gas to dope the semiconductor up to metallic transition. However, to avoid cross contamination, each reactor is dedicated to specific studies. The most recently installed  is devoted to low doped and thick diamond layers for power devices. Recently, we also developed in situ studies with the help of a spectroscopic ellipsometer. This optical device can be easily installed on reactors to measure in real time, the thickness, the roughness and in some cases the doping level. Diamond growth studies are consequently expanding into hitherto unexplored regimes, and a new approach to control the processes is being established.

Products

DiamFab provide you bare die device ready diamond. On a well selected substrate, the desired layers of diamond are grown by Plasma enhanced CVD. Our products are electronic grade and are ready for devices fabrications. A stack of several layer with different doping levels is also possible.

Specifications

• Doping level from 10¹⁵ cm^-3 to 10²¹ cm^-3 (from insulator to metallic conduction)
• Thickness from few nanometers to few tens of micrometers
• Customized layer design and stack
• Low roughness
• Size of 4×4 mm² or more depending of substrate availability

Services

Combined to our crystaline growth activity, a consulting activity in layer design is also proposed. Thanks to our knowledge in growth and simulation we are able to advise you  on the best layer design to optimise your device performances.