9315677 Malshe Recent advances in the synthesis of diamond films have enhanced the possibility for the use of diamond coated surfaces in numerous applications that include optics, thermal management devices and moving mechanical assemblies. Specific examples include; telescopes, night vision lenses, high power laser optics, laser diodes, heat spreading devices for multichip modules and coatings for improved wear, enhanced lubricity and corrosion protection in moving systems. One major disadvantage of diamond films grown using CVD methods is that they are polycrystalline and thus usually tend to have a rough surface morphology. This variation in surface roughness causes scattering of light, thereby reducing the usefulness of optics in many applications. Polishing is one approach by which this scattering can be reduced. Conventional approaches to polishing are only marginally efficient because of the high hardness associated with diamond. In the Phase-I effort, Materials Modification Inc. (MMI), successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using a non-contact polishing method for the polishing of CVD-diamond films. Preliminary results demonstrated that surface roughness can be reduced from 5-10 um to a few nanometers within a few hundred seconds. In Phase II, MMI intends to comprehensively study the laser polishing method by optimizing the process parameters for large area polishing. This experience in processing will then be used by MMI for demonstrating the fabrication of polished CVD diamond films for high quality diamond windows. ***
