Advances and development in CVD technology

Among the different areas of interest, thin low pressure CVD diamond coatings are thought to have a potential (i) in acting as sensing elements in microsensor devices for use in hostile environments and (ii) in the production of improved cutting tools. Besides the feasibility and quality aspects of the product to be met, the successful production of these items as a mass product is of prime importance and depends strongly on whether the processes and post process manufacturing operations can be scaled up. Therefore, feasibility studies are needed in order to make sure that the technical and economical criteria for mass production is in reach, when further research efforts to improve the coatings on a laboratory scale in these areas should make sense. This balancing act between efforts and risks is shown when researching the applicability of thin diamond films as sensor elements in terms of a low-cost and reliable mass product - a new industrial application of potential? In the area of diamond coating of cutting tools, a summary is given on the state of the art: gathered from literature, which may show why in this particular industrial domain no real break-through has yet occurred.