Properties of chemical vapor infiltration diamond deposited in a diamond powder matrix

Densifying nonmined diamond powder precursors with diamond produced by chemical vapor infiltration is an attractive approach for forming thick diamond deposits that avoids many potential manufacturability problems associated with predominantly chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes. We have developed two techniques: electrophoretic deposition and screen printing, to form diamond powder precursors on substrates. We then densify these precursors in a hot filament assisted reactor. Analysis indicates that a hot-filament-assisted chemical vapor infiltration process forms intergranular diamond deposits with properties that are to some degree different from predominantly hot-filament-assisted CVD material.