This Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity project from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) plans to capitalize on the recent advances in the synthesis of diamond by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in order to develop the next generation of diamond-based sensors for extreme environments and diamond-coatings for higher-power solid state lasers and longer-lasting biomedical implants. Developments in the synthesis of diamond over the last three decades have made it possible to grow mono-, poly-, and nano-crystalline diamond on various surfaces. Combining UAB's existing research expertise and intellectual property in the synthesis of CVD diamond with the technological-oriented research to be performed in this project will lead to the development of 1) novel diamond-based sensors for characterizing materials under extreme environments; 2) CVD diamond-coated laser media for improved heat dissipation; and 3) diamond-coated biomedical implants with lifespan extending over thirty years. This project aims to address the difficulties encountered in and ways to improve on the adhesion of CVD diamond films on laser media and biomedical implant materials like stainless steel and cobalt-chrome alloys. The research will also contribute to the knowledge base on the growth mechanisms of diamond single crystals as well as on the growth of nanostructured diamond coatings on metallic and non-metallic substrates.
The broader impacts of this research are enhanced innovative capacities of the academic institution and the industrial partner companies. The research proposed in this project will result in diamond crystals with embedded electrical, magnetic, and stress sensors for applications in extreme conditions of pressures and temperatures. The increase in lifespan of biomedical implants will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans and will reduce the need for revision surgeries. The diamond-coated laser media with minimal loss and high damage threshold will enable new laser applications in industry and medicine. UAB postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students will benefit from the exposure they will receive by working in close contact with the industry personnel. Also, by partnering with Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), an economic development organization focused on the economic growth in the seven-county Birmingham region, this project will have a broader impact in the nucleation of new businesses in the innovation depot in the downtown Birmingham area.
Partners at the inception of the project are 1) Lead Institution: University of Alabama (Department of Physics) and 2) Small Business Partners: Almax easyLab Inc.(headquartered in Boston, MA); Onyx Optics Inc.(Dublin, CA); and Vista Engineering & Consulting LLC (Birmingham, AL).
