Diamond Micromachines Could Be A Designer's Best Friend

April 3, 2000
Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., have created what are believed to be the world's first diamond micromachines. These devices are etched from a surface of amorphous diamond, the hardest material in the world after...

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., have created what are believed to be the world's first diamond micromachines. These devices are etched from a surface of amorphous diamond, the hardest material in the world after crystalline diamond, and they are compatible with current silicon chip and surface micromachine manufacturing techniques.

The researchers are investigating amorphous diamonds because of their superior wear-resistant qualities and resistance to stiction—a combination of stickiness and friction. The diamonds also have potential as a biocompatible material that could be used inside the human body for medical purposes without generating an allergic reaction.

Sandia has constructed a diamond comb drive with tiny interspaced teeth that move forward and back as an electrical current reverses constantly between positive and negative (see the figure). This is the first demonstration of a micromotion drive using amorphous diamond.

"The point," says researcher John Sullivan, "is to create a layering technology useful in increasing the life span and performance of micromachines." Also, Tom Friedmann says, "Micromachines, for their marvelously tiny size, are still machines. They're subject to wear, even if it's only at the micro level. Diamond is more wear-resistant than polysilicon."

Researchers expect amorphous diamond to last 10,000 times longer than polysilicon in wear applications. According to Sandia, the material is chemically benign and compatible with silicon. It could function as another station in the line in the creation of a basically silicon micromachine, but with a diamond layer for additional strength and durability. Someday, it may even be used as a complete replacement for polysilicon.

For more information, go to www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR2000/diamond.htm.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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