Innovation

Natural diamonds have a set of extreme characteristics and have long attracted attention as a unique material for optics and laser technology, however, their widespread use is constrained by high cost and limited availability. The project envisages the creation of efficient tools for microprocessing of laser components, based on artifical diamonds. Ultrashort laser pulses have a great potential in the field of microprocessing and functionalization. For example, laser diamond ablation can be used for complex microprofiling of its surface and creation of diffractive optical elements (focusers, splitters, etc.) for IR radiation and terahertz spectral region, to create cylindrical and spherical diamond microlenses to focus X-ray (synchrotron) radiation.

Inspiration

The inspiration for this innovation came because of the fact that we live in the fast changing world, where the development of technologies has incredible speed. The point is that many projects cannot be finished, because of lack of materials and extremely high expenses, because of high costs of resources. As a result a project can be frozen after the creation of the prototype. "The invention of high-quality artificial diamonds will give our world an opportunity to broaden the horizons of humanity and will improve the number of successful projects in the scientific field", told us Andrey Sinogeikin, CEO of Wonder Technologies. The range of spheres, where this technology can be helpful is very wide. It can be used in medicine, photonics, nuclear technologies, nanotechnologies, electronics and mechanical engineering. Sinogeikin claims: "The project means transformation of science in technology, and technology — in industrial production".

Overall impact

Several interrelated problems will be solved simultaneously in the project. First, various technologies for the synthesis of diamond films and plates will be developed and the deposition regimes will be worked out, which would allow implementing separately or collectively:

- limiting transverse dimensions and thickness of polycrystalline diamond plates and single crystals;

- high speeds and productivity of synthesis;

- high optical and electronic quality of the created diamond materials.

To achieve these goals, the microwave plasma parameters, the power and wavelength of the radiation, the resonator parameters, the pressure, the composition and flow rate of the gas mixture, the temperature of the substrate, etc. will vary.

Secondly, to ensure the material basis of the project, the already developed microwave plasma growth devices will be improved and new ones will be created, bringing them to the level of industrial design and organizing mass production. Thirdly, an important part of the project is the processing of synthesized diamond crystals and plates. The first necessary element of these technologies will be mechanical polishing and production of polycrystalline diamond plates using original equipment, which, like the growth plants, will be brought to production on a small series scale.

Business benefit

"Investor’s interest in science here is obvious: the source of really big capitalization for today is innovation. A great example of this is Tesla, SpaceX, Apple. New technologies and scientific developments are something that already changes the world, the market and the economy. This is a huge sphere of influence", told us Sinogeikin. He is absolutely sure that his company may make a huge impact, which will change the world for the better and that is why the investors are ready to subsidize the project.

According to the marketing research potential consumers of the product are: Singapore and Russia - for the single-crystal diamond plates with color centers for quantum optical technologies, diamond anvils; Germany - for the diamond windows for IR lasers, diamond heat-removing plates for disk lasers, diamond micro-optics of fiber optical systems of the near-IR range, Fresnel optics of the IR range; Australia and USA - for the diamond crystals for Raman lasers; China & India - for the growth plants for diamond production, laser complexes for the processing of diamond materials. To sum up, according to the marketing research the market constantly grows and develops and the profits can be extremely high.

Social and environmental benefit

The potential benefits are going to be huge. With the help of the artificial diamond technologies, the humanity can make a breakthrough in a wide range of industries. It will help many companies to improve their activity and give a plenty of opportunities for the scientists to invent brand new and helpful soultions. For example, it may lead to the development of new remedies, which can save thousands lives or the inventing of something that will solve various global problems such as hunger or global warming. "CVD diamonds have indisputable competitive advantages over traditional materials owing to a unique set of characteristics. Development of reliable technology of synthesis of CVD diamonds — a priority task for development of technologies of the future", claims Andrey Sinogeikin. Moreover, given the fact that extraction of diamonds in a traditional way is a highly controversial business, the new artificial diamond technologies have a potential of significantly lowering the environmental impact.

Interview

Andrey Sinogeikin, CEO