APPLICATIONS EXPLOITING THE EXTREME PROPERTIES OF DIAMONDS

A review is given of applications of diamond in electronics, optics, surgery and materials science at high pressures. These take advantage of the extremely high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, range of spectral transmission, and strength and hardness of diamond. In electronics, diamond substrates are used for high power, high reliability devices such as diode lasers for repeaters in optic fibre communications. In optics the applications are generally for IR windows for use in corrosive or abrasive environments. In surgery, diamond knives make possible finer and more precise cuts, less cell damage and more rapid healing in such operations as minimum-incision cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation, or excision of Dupuytrens' tissue of the hand. Diamond anvils have given materials scientists access to the highest static pressures attainable on earth and a resultant wealth of new high pressure solid phases for study. Comparisons are made where appropriate with potential fields of application of chemically vapour-deposited diamond.