The partnership will cover the key stages in the value chain, from substrate production to the manufacture of electronic components, via the epitaxy of doped layers.
HiQuTe Diamond will contribute its expertise in the production of high-quality diamond substrates, optimised to maximise the performance of power electronics devices. Diamfab will have responsibility for the epitaxial growth of doped layers using advanced crystal growth processes, as well as the manufacture of high-performance components.
Both companies come from the CNRS laboratories: the Institut Néel for Diamfab and the LSPM (Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux) for HiQuTe Diamond.
This partnership is the first in the world to combine the three key stages - substrate, epitaxy and manufacturing - at such a high level of quality, in both academic and industrial spheres.
Helped by their geographical proximity and industrial experience, the two companies will be able to accelerate iteration cycles to rapidly achieve improved technical and financial performance, with the aim of making diamond semiconductors an industrial reality.
“Power semiconductors are at the heart of the growth of the world's economies. With performance levels between 10 and 40 times higher than components based on conventional materials, diamond semiconductors are key to widespread adoption of electrification and the decarbonisation of entire sectors of the economy,” said Gauthier Chicot, CEO of Diamfab. “By working with HiQuTe Diamond, we have the will and the technological, human and geographical resources to create this sector of excellence in France”.
Florent Alzetto, CEO of HiQuTe Diamond, added, “The plasma-assisted CVD growth process makes it possible to produce boron-doped diamonds that are specifically adapted to the demanding applications of power electronics. This sustainable process ensures rigorous control of physical properties, while meeting performance challenges. The convergence of our expertise and that of Diamfab offers unprecedented opportunities to meet global industrial challenges in terms of performance and energy efficiency”.
The two companies plan to begin the collaboration with the manufacture of a first series of vertical Schottky diodes on HiQuTe Diamond substrates using diamond epitaxy optimised by Diamfab.
The first prototypes, expected in Spring 2025, will mark a decisive technological breakthrough, paving the way for the industrialisation of diamond semiconductors, a real turning point for the high-performance industries.
