Thin film diamond coating system and method

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a transparent glass system that includes an optical grade silicon substrate, and a nanocrystalline diamond film on the silicon substrate, the diamond film deposited using a chemical vapor deposition system having a reactor in which methane, hydrogen and argon source gases are added. Further disclosed is a method of fabricating transparent glass that includes the steps of seeding an optical grade silicon substrate and forming a nanocrystalline diamond film on the silicon substrate using a chemical vapor deposition system having a reactor in which methane, hydrogen and argon source gases are added.

We claim: 
     
       1. A transparent glass for electronics, optical component comprising:
 a BK7 silicon curved glass substrate; and  
 a nanocrystalline diamond film of approximately 113 nm on the BK7 silicon substrate, formed on the curved glass substrate, wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a thickness from about 102 nanometers to about one micrometer; 
 wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited on the curved glass substrate using a chemical vapor deposition systemhaving a reactor in which methane, hydrogen and argon source gases are added;  
 wherein the transmission of light through the silicon substrate and the nanocrystalline diamond film at 550 nm wavelength is in excess of 0.90 and the transmission of light between 350 nm and 450 nm wavelength is less than 0.80 and the transmission of light between 750 nm and 850 am is less than 0.80 
 wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a variation in thickness that is less than or equal to six percent from a center point of the curved glass substrate to an edge of the curved glass substrate; 
 wherein the transparent optical components transmits at least 80 percent of light comprising a wavelength of 550 nanometers; 
 wherein the transparent optical component transmits a reduced percentage of light relative to transmission of the light comprising the wavelength of 550 nm, and wherein the light that is transmitted at the reduced percentage comprises one or more of:
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers; or 
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 750 nanometers to about 850 nanometers; and 
 
 wherein the transparent optical component transmits a different percentage of the light comprising the wavelength of 550 nanometers at the center point of the curved glass substrate relative to the edge of the curved glass substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited on the curved glass substrate with a microwave plasma reactor. 
     
     
       3. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited on the curved glass substrate with a hot filament reactor. 
     
     
       4. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate is seeded with nanocrystalline diamond prior to the deposition of the diamond film nanocrystalline diamond film being deposited on the curved glass substrate. 
     
     
       5. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited on the curved glass substrate with a reactor is operated at temperatures less than 450 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
       6. The transparent glass of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond film is less than on micron. 
     
     
       7. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate is comprises fused silica. 
     
     
       8. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate is comprises quartz. 
     
     
       9. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate includes comprises sapphire. 
     
     
       10. The transparent glass optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film is deposited on the curved glass substrate using source gases comprising:
 ,methane at a concentration of three standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM); 
 hydrogen at a concentration of four SCCM; and 
 argon source gases are at concentrations of: at a concentration of 300 SCCMargon, 3 SCCM methane), 4 SCCM H2 hydrogen. 
 
     
     
       11. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a thickness from about 102 nanometers to about 125 nanometers. 
     
     
       12. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate is seeded with a small grain nanocrystalline diamond solution, and wherein the small grain nanocrystalline diamond solution comprises a grain size of ten nanometers or less. 
     
     
       13. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film reduces transmission of light through the curved glass substrate at a rate from about 2 percent to about 6 percent reduction relative to the tranmission of light through the curved glass substrate alone. 
     
     
       14. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent optical component transmits a different percentage of the light comprising the wavelength within the range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers at the center point of the curved glass substrate relative to the edge of the curved glass substrate. 
     
     
       15. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent optical component transmits a different percentage of the light comprising the wavelength within the range from about 750 nanometers to about 850 nanometers at the center point of the curved glass substrate relative to the edge of the curved glass substrate. 
     
     
       16. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent optical component is one or more of a camera lens or camera lens cover. 
     
     
       17. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent optical component is one or more of a sensor lens or sensor lens cover. 
     
     
       18. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the curved glass substrate comprises a curvature optimized for a lens. 
     
     
       19. The transparent optical component of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent optical component is an electronic display. 
     
     
       20. A transparent optical component comprising:
 a curved glass substrate; and   a nanocrystalline diamond film formed on the curved glass substrate, wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a thickness from about 102 nanometers to about one micrometer;   wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a variation in thickness that is less than or equal to six percent from a center point of the curved glass substrate to an edge of the curved glass substrate;   wherein the transparent optical component transmits at least 80 percent of light comprising a wavelength of 550 nanometers;   wherein the transparent optical component transmits a reduced percentage of light relative to transmission of the light comprising the wavelength of 550 nm, and wherein the light that is transmitted at the reduced percentage comprises one or more of:
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers; or 
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 750 nanometers to about 850 nanometers; and 
   wherein the transparent optical component transmits a different percentage of the light comprising the wavelength within the range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers at the center point of the curved glass substrate relative to the edge of the curved glass substrate.   
     
     
       21. A transparent optical component comprising:
 a curved glass substrate; and   a nanocrystalline diamond film formed on the curved glass substrate, wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a thickness from about 102 nanometers to about one micrometer;   wherein the nanocrystalline diamond film comprises a variation in thickness that is less than or equal to six percent from a center point of the curved glass substrate to an edge of the curved glass substrate;   wherein the transparent optical component transmits at least 80 percent of light comprising a wavelength of 550 nanometers;   wherein the transparent optical component transmits a reduced percentage of light relative to transmission of the light comprising the wavelength of 550 nm, and wherein the light that is transmitted at the reduced percentage comprises one or more of:
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers; or 
 light comprising a wavelength within a range from about 750 nanometers to about 850 nanometers; and 
   wherein the transparent optical component transmits a different percentage of the light comprising the wavelength within the range from about 750 nanometers to about 850 nanometers at the center point of the curved glass substrate relative to the edge of the curved glass substrate.