Advanced Diamond Technologies,
Inc. (ADT) welcomes UNCD® Lightning™, electrically conductive
diamond, to its family of award-winning diamond products. Although natural diamond
is highly insulating, UNCD Lightning captures many of its best characteristics
(e.g., exceptional hardness, low friction, and biocompatibility) while extending
its properties to include electrical conductivity.
UNCD Lightning’s electrical resistance is less than 0.1 ohm-cm which
makes it suitable for many industrial, electronic, and biomedical applications.
For example, UNCD Lightning can be deposited on silicon wafers up to 300 mm
in diameter and processed using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques
for those interested in making micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) out
of diamond.
UNCD Lightning is available in ADT’s NaDiaProbes® (all-diamond probes
for atomic force microscopy [AFM]) and UNCD Wafers (semiconductor wafers coated
with diamond). UNCD Lightning can be incorporated into any of ADT’s products
where electrical conductivity is desired in a material with superior friction
and wear capabilities such as in rotating industrial equipment. “Electrical
conductivity was our number one most requested feature, and we’ve delivered
it,” said Neil Kane, ADT’s president.
In an example of UNCD Lightning’s versatility, it is being used in a
project sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop diamond-based
sensors for the real-time detection of water-based chemical and biological agents
such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. ”ADT is making it economically
and technically feasible for people and soldiers to carry sensors to determine
if water is safe to drink,” said Dr. John Carlisle, ADT’s chief
technical officer.
“UNCD Lightning, because it is both smooth and conducting, can electrically
transmit and communicate information with biological materials,” said
Carlisle. “Combining electrical and biomaterial properties with the capability
to make diamond MEMS can enable new classes of devices such as those that detect
blood glucose levels in real-time and identify neurotransmitters associated
with hypertension to help lengthen life expectancy—just to name a few.”
Products incorporating UNCD Lightning can be ordered directly from ADT or through
its distributors at http://www.thindiamond.com. ADT will be showcasing these
products at SEMICON West 2009, July 14-16, 2009 in San Francisco, CA. Please
visit booth #6573 to learn more.