“If You Can Grow Heteroepitaxial Diamond on 300 Millimeters- You Win The Game”

Christoph (00:08):

Hi, I am Christoph Spitzl from Iplas Germany, and we specialize in microwave CVD equipment. Iplas is now going strong for over 25 years and well, I’m now the second generation starting.

Liz (00:22):

And what is it you actually design and manufacture?

Christoph (00:26):

So my parents originally came up with a new method to induce the microwaves into the reactors. It’s, well, we use like slits instead of an actual antenna. That way we get way more homogeneous coating areas on larger surface areas that we can coat. We have 60 millimeter substrate holders for production purpose, a definite advantage. And we get higher plasma densities, meaning we have faster growth rates. So that’s quite something if you are trying to produce diamond on an industrial scale.

Liz (01:07):

Who buys your reactors and your equipment?

Christoph (01:10):

Anybody who really wants to produce diamonds or is trying to go into the semiconductor quantum space. Electronic grade, optical grade, or we can do up to 300 millimeter diameter wafers.

Liz (01:26):

If I was a company that bought your chambers to grow for gem and now I wanted to switch to tech applications, is that possible?

Christoph (01:34):

The current systems going around for gem production are not entirely good for electronic quantum grades.

Liz (01:42):

Is this true with all, all types of chambers? Is that if you’re really have been growing for gem, you probably cannot use it.

Christoph (01:50):

If you want to grow, let’s say lower quality thermal grades can probably do it if you’re trying to go into the PPB range, definitely not.

Liz (02:03):

So where do you think the future of grown diamond is?

Christoph (02:07):

I think there’s only one real direction. And that will be single crystal heteroepitaxial diamond plates or well possible 300 millimeters. Larger ones of course also preferential at that point. So if you actually can grow heteroepitaxial diamond on 300 millimeters, you win the game essentially, right?

Liz (02:34):

You joined LGDinTech, what do you think this group means to the development of this whole category?

Christoph (02:42):

I think it’s a good ecosystem and if people want to try their research, for example, on actual production level, let’s say you can do the technical part, the actual business part of it is probably quite some hurdle, but that’s where the ecosystem is really good ’cause you don’t need these mass upfront investments for product that you might not even need, but you can at least try to make it or you can produce it. You can then approach the right people who might want to use it. They will actually try to use it and potentially have a product ready. And then that is where really the value comes in.

Liz (03:20):

Is there anything else about your company, yourself, your future that you’d like to share?

Christoph (03:25):

If you are looking for, let’s say ultra nano crystalline diamond, poly crystalline diamond, single crystal diamond if it’s for mechanical, optical thermal, quantum or whatever application it’s very important to use the right equipment that just works. And if you know what you’re doing on the process side, there are honestly no limits to our machines.