Nanocrystalline diamond micro-anvil grown on single crystal diamond as a generator of ultra-high pressures

By combining mask-less lithography and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, a novel two-stage diamond anvil has been fabricated. A nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) micro-anvil 30 μm in diameter was grown at the center of a [100]-oriented, diamond anvil by utilizing microwave plasma CVD method. The NCD micro-anvil has a diamond grain size of 115 nm and micro-focused Raman and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate sp3-bonded diamond content of 72%. These CVD grown NCD micro-anvils were tested in an opposed anvil configuration and the transition metals osmium and tungsten were compressed to high pressures of 264 GPa in a diamond anvil cell.