DIASEMI™ Nanocrystalline Diamond (NCD) Film
May5, 2026
DIASEMI™ Nanocrystalline Diamond (NCD) Film
High Thermal Conductivity with Engineered Mechanical Compliance
Product Overview
DIASEMI™ Nanocrystalline Diamond (NCD) films redefine the conventional perception of diamond as a purely rigid material. At the nanoscale, diamond exhibits size-dependent mechanical behavior, transitioning into a surface-dominated, elastically compliant structure while retaining its exceptional thermal properties.
Leveraging this phenomenon, DIASEMI NCD films deliver a unique combination of:
Ultra-high thermal conductivity
Enhanced elastic compliance
Superior interface reliability
These properties make NCD an enabling material for next-generation high-power electronics, photonics, and advanced packaging systems.
Key Value Proposition
“High thermal conductivity meets mechanical compliance.”
Unlike bulk diamond, DIASEMI NCD films provide strain-tolerant thermal spreading, addressing critical challenges in heterogeneous integration and high heat flux devices.
Technical Advantages
1. Size-Dependent Elasticity (Core Differentiator)
Nanocrystalline structure introduces:
High surface atom fraction
Reduced bond stiffness at grain boundaries
Results in:
~30% reduction in effective stiffness (vs. bulk diamond)
Increased elastic strain tolerance
Enables stress buffering at material interfaces
2. Exceptional Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity: 800 – 1800 W/m·K (film dependent)
Efficient phonon transport across nanograins
Maintains superior heat spreading vs. Cu, Al, and SiC
3. Interface Stress Mitigation
NCD films act as a compliant thermal layer:
Reduces CTE mismatch stress:
Diamond / Si
Diamond / GaN
Diamond / Cu
Improves:
Adhesion strength
Thermal cycling reliability
Device lifetime
4. Scalable Thin Film Integration
Deposition method: MPCVD / CVD
Wafer-scale uniformity
Compatible with:
Semiconductor back-end processes
Advanced packaging platforms
Typical Properties
| Property | Value Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grain size | 4 – 100 nm | Tunable (NCD / UNCD regimes) |
| Thermal conductivity | 800 – 1800 W/m·K | Process dependent |
| Young’s modulus | 600 – 900 GPa | Lower than bulk (~1050 GPa) |
| Elastic strain limit | ↑ vs. bulk diamond | Enhanced recoverability |
| Surface roughness (Ra) | < 10 nm | After polishing |
| Thickness | 0.5 – 500 μm | Customizable |
Mechanism Illustration (Conceptual)
Bulk Diamond:
Fully coordinated sp³ lattice
Maximum stiffness
Brittle under stress concentration
DIASEMI NCD Film:
Core–shell grain structure
Surface/grain boundary dominated
Reduced bond stiffness + structural relaxation
Result:
Elastic, strain-tolerant diamond network
Applications
Semiconductor Thermal Management
GaN HEMT heat spreaders
SiC power modules
Advanced CPU / GPU cooling
Photonics & Laser Systems
High-power laser diode submounts
Optical window thermal stabilization
Heterogeneous Integration
Diamond-on-Si platforms
3D integration thermal layers
Chiplet packaging
RF & Microwave Devices
High-frequency high-power modules
Microwave windows
Why DIASEMI NCD?
| Conventional Diamond | DIASEMI NCD |
|---|---|
| Ultra-stiff, brittle | Elastic, strain-tolerant |
| Interface cracking risk | Stress-buffering layer |
| Limited integration flexibility | Process-compatible thin films |
Customization Options
Grain size engineering (UNCD → NCD → MCD)
Thickness control (sub-micron to bulk-like)
Surface finishing (optical grade available)
Doping options (e.g., boron-doped for conductivity)
Summary
DIASEMI™ Nanocrystalline Diamond films introduce a new materials paradigm:
Diamond is no longer just the stiffest material — it is now an engineered, compliant, high-performance thermal platform.
By combining extreme thermal conductivity with nanoscale-enabled elasticity, DIASEMI enables reliable operation in the most demanding thermal and mechanical environments.
