Diamond for electronics, sensors and detectors V

Diamond is not only an (ultra) wide band gap semiconductor (5.5eV) but a material with a superlative set of electronic, spintronic, photonic, optical and physical properties. As high quality large area single crystal diamond substrates grown by CVD methods have now become a commercial reality there is no better time to address recent developments in not only diamond electronics, but also diamond devices for sensing and detection applications.

Recently diamond, either as a single crystal material or in the form of nanocrystalline thin films or individual diamond nano-crystals, has shown unrivalled potential in a number of fields whose importance is increasing as the world seeks new technologies to solve its burgeoning geo-socio-economic problems. For example, as we move to a net-zero economy the demand for renewable sources of energy, such as solar cell and wind turbine, that are highly distributed, requires the dramatic improvements in the efficiency of power inverters and switches within future smart grid applications. This is creating a huge market pull for wide band gap semiconductor solutions. The move to increase nuclear energy, and possibly in the future fusion, makes the need for radiation-hard electronics for maintenance robots and clear-up operations after accidents pressing.

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has emerged in the last decade as the most exciting new technology for nanoscale magnetic measurements.  By controlling and interrogating the quantum spin state of this crystal defect, researchers have been able to demonstrate field detectivity down to nano-T/Hz on length scales of a few tens of nanometers, in air, at room temperature. These capabilities have inspired proof-of-concept measurements in fields as diverse as cell biology, microwave engineering, and solid-state physics. Bio-electronics is a scientific field coupling the achievements in biology with electronics to obtain higher sensitivity, specificity and speed. Biosensors have played a pivotal role, and many have become established in the clinical and scientific world. They need to be sensitive, specific, fast and cheap. Electrochemical biosensors are most frequently cited in literature, often in the context of DNA sensing and mutation analysis. However, many popular electrochemical transduction materials, such as silicon, are susceptible to hydrolysis, leading to loss of bioreceptor molecules from the surface. Hence, increased attention has been shifted towards diamond, which surpasses silicon on many levels.  The list of possibilities for diamond could go on.

Following the previous successful symposia held in the E-MRS Fall series, topics to be covered in this fifth edition will include, but not be limited to:

• Highlight topic: High quality large area diamond substrates: current status and future prospects
• Growth and doping of diamond by CVD and HPHT methods
• Defect engineering and colour centres in diamond
• Diamond optics and photonics, spintronics
• Diamond power electronics, radiation-hard electronics
• Electrochemistry and biochemistry
• Chemical sensors, biosensors, magnetometry
• Radiation detection, photodetection, multi-functional detectors
• Extreme environmental monitoring and IoT
• Thermal management and integration with other semiconductors
• Diamond heterostructures
• Energy harvesting and storage with diamond and related materials