Microwave Chemical Vapour Deposition System

It is used for efficient processing, heating, drying or material transformation.

High efficiency, process reliability and complete customization.

Yes, Kerone offers fully customized engineering solutions.

Food, chemical, pharma, biomass, rubber, textile and more.

Kerone ensures high product quality through strict engineering standards, advanced testing procedures, and precision-controlled manufacturing systems.

Microwave CVD processes typically operate at pressures between 10 and 300 mbar, requiring medium-vacuum systems with appropriate pumping capacity.

Kerone's systems include mass flow controllers, gas cabinets with leak detection, automated purge and vent sequences, and exhaust treatment for safe handling of flammable and toxic gases.

Kerone provides application engineering support including process development, deposition parameter optimization, film characterization guidance, and on-site technical assistance.

Microwave plasma CVD diamond growth typically uses a methane and hydrogen gas mixture, where hydrogen plays the critical role of selectively etching non-diamond carbon (graphitic) phases faster than it etches diamond, allowing high-purity diamond crystal structure to dominate the growing film. The methane-to-hydrogen ratio directly controls growth rate and film quality: higher methane concentrations increase deposition speed but raise the risk of non-diamond carbon inclusion, while lower concentrations favor purity at the cost of slower growth. For doped films, small quantities of boron- or nitrogen-containing gases are introduced to tailor electrical conductivity. Precise mass flow control of these gas ratios is one of the most important variables an operator manages during a production run.

Microwave power density determines the plasma's electron temperature and ion density, which in turn controls the rate at which carbon radicals are generated and deposited onto the substrate. Higher power density generally increases growth rate, but pushing power too high can raise substrate temperature beyond the optimal range for diamond nucleation, leading to increased defect density or non-diamond carbon incorporation. Each substrate material and target film thickness has an optimal power density window, which is why Kerone's systems provide wide-range process control over power, allowing operators to fine-tune conditions for different applications from optical-grade windows to cutting-tool coatings without needing a different reactor.

Diamond nucleation density on a bare substrate is typically too low for continuous film formation, so substrates are usually seeded before deposition begins. Common seeding methods include mechanical scratching with diamond powder or ultrasonic seeding in a diamond nanoparticle suspension, both of which create nucleation sites that promote dense, uniform initial growth. Substrate cleanliness is equally important, since surface contamination can disrupt nucleation or introduce unwanted impurities into the growing film. Substrate material selection also matters: silicon, tungsten carbide, and certain ceramics are common choices, each requiring slightly different pre-treatment to achieve good adhesion given the thermal expansion mismatch between the substrate and diamond film.

Uniformity depends on the plasma's spatial distribution within the reactor chamber, which is influenced by cavity geometry, microwave mode structure, and substrate positioning relative to the plasma ball. Kerone's reactor designs use mode-tuning and substrate rotation or translation mechanisms to average out any spatial non-uniformity in the plasma, ensuring consistent gas-phase chemistry reaches all areas of the substrate. Gas flow distribution through the chamber is equally important, since uneven flow can create local variations in methane concentration that translate directly into thickness or quality variation across the deposited film. For larger substrates, multi-zone power and gas control may be incorporated to maintain consistency from center to edge.

Natural diamond formation is governed entirely by uncontrollable geological conditions, while High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) synthesis requires extreme mechanical pressure and offers limited ability to tune growth conditions mid-process. Microwave plasma CVD operates at low pressure with full electronic control over gas composition, power, and temperature throughout the deposition run, allowing growers to adjust conditions in real time to target specific properties such as optical clarity, electrical conductivity, or mechanical hardness. This level of process control is what allows CVD to produce diamond tailored for specific advanced applications like semiconductor heat spreaders or optical components, rather than being limited to whatever properties geology or brute-force pressure happen to produce.

Routine maintenance centers on the microwave generator, waveguide components, and vacuum system, since these experience the most operational wear. Magnetron or solid-state generator inspection is typically scheduled based on cumulative operating hours, while vacuum pump oil and seal maintenance follows a separate interval based on pump type and duty cycle. Quartz or sapphire windows that allow microwave entry into the chamber require periodic inspection for coating buildup, since deposited carbon can gradually reduce microwave transmission efficiency if not cleaned on schedule. Kerone provides a maintenance schedule calibrated to each system's specific configuration and typical run duration during commissioning.

Yes. The same microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition principle is used to deposit a range of thin films including silicon-based dielectrics, diamond-like carbon coatings, and various nitride or oxide films used in electronics and optics. Suitability depends on identifying precursor gases that decompose into the desired film constituents under microwave plasma conditions, along with confirming that the deposition temperature and chemistry are compatible with the target substrate. Kerone's application engineering team evaluates new material systems through process development trials, adjusting gas chemistry, power, and pressure to establish a repeatable recipe before scaling to production volumes.