High pressure studies using two-stage diamond micro-anvils grown by chemical vapor deposition

Ultra-high static pressures have been achieved in the laboratory using a two-stage micro-ball nanodiamond anvils as well as a two-stage micro-paired diamond anvils machined using a focused ion-beam system. The two-stage diamond anvils' designs implemented thus far suffer from a limitation of one diamond anvil sliding past another anvil at extreme conditions. We describe a new method of fabricating two-stage diamond micro-anvils using a tungsten mask on a standard diamond anvil followed by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) homoepitaxial diamond growth. A prototype two-stage diamond anvil with 300 µm culet and with a CVD diamond second stage of 50 µm in diameter was fabricated. We have carried out preliminary high pressure X-ray diffraction studies on a sample of rare-earth metal lutetium sample with a copper pressure standard to 86 GPa. The micro-anvil grown by CVD remained intact during indentation of gasket as well as on decompression from the highest pressure of 86 GPa.