Project R-16160

Nanocrystalline diamond membranes (Research)

This project investigates the mechanical and electrical properties of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films, with a focus on their wrinkling behavior at the nanoscale. To introduce n-type semiconductor behavior, the diamond films will be doped with phosphorus. Following synthesis, diamond nanomembranes (NMs) as thin as 50 nm and as large as 10×10 mm² will be fabricated. Typically, membranes undergo wrinkling upon strain release, with the wrinkle patterns providing insights into the mechanical properties of the material. The primary objective of this project is to understand the formation and evolution of these wrinkle patterns in NCD NMs and to correlate them with the underlying mechanical and electrical properties of the material at the nanoscale. Given that NCD consists of hard grains and soft grain boundaries, we hypothesize that the interplay between these microstructural features influences the wrinkling behavior at larger scales. A combination of experimental and theoretical techniques will be used to characterize the mechanical and electrical properties of the doped NCD NMs, with special attention given to electrical measurements to better understand the relationship between structural behavior and conductive properties. This study aims to advance our understanding of the unique mechanical-electrical properties of phosphorus-doped NCD at the nanoscale.

01 September 2025 - 31 August 2029