Informant38

Materials scientists have long been interested in diamond as an alternative to silicon. Diamond is harder and more heat-resistant than silicon, which is useful at higher power levels and frequencies. For example, silicon components become unreliable at 150�C but diamond should cope with temperatures in excess of 400�C.

Like silicon, diamond can be doped with traces of other materials to control how electrons flow through it. But in its natural form diamond contains too many impurities, while synthetic diamonds are made up of many small crystals whose borders interfere with electron flow.

Now British and Swedish researchers have managed to create a synthetic diamond thin film made up of a single crystal, with few impurities and all of the characteristics that will make it useful for electronics.