Structures formed in diamond

• US 7,122,837 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scio Diamond Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Apollo Diamond, Inc. (Solstice Resorts, Inc.)
• Inventors: Linares, Bryant, Linares, Robert C., Doering, Patrick J., Genis, Alfred, Dromeshauser, William
• Primary Examiner(s): PERT, EVAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/178,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 257/77, 438/105, 365/64, 365/114
• US Class Current: 257/77
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/04 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 33/00 After-treatment of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure C30B31/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12035 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/122 Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 10/00 Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0405 the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising semiconducting carbon, e.g. diamond, diamond-like carbon multistep processes for the manufacture of said devices H01L29/66015
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/127 Quantum box structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1602 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/167 further characterised by the doping material H01L29/1604 takes precedence

Abstract

N-V centers in diamond are created in a controlled manner. In one embodiment, a single crystal diamond is formed using a CVD process, and then annealed to remove N-V centers. A thin layer of single crystal diamond is then formed with a controlled number of N-V centers. The N-V centers form Qubits for use in electronic circuits. Masked and controlled ion implants, coupled with annealing are used in CVD formed diamond to create structures for both optical applications and nanoelectromechanical device formation. Waveguides may be formed optically coupled to the N-V centers and further coupled to sources and detectors of light to interact with the N-V centers.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a layer of single crystal diamond;

a waveguide formed in the layer of single crystal diamond; and

an isolated N-V center optically coupled to the waveguide.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the isolated N-V center is inside the waveguide.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the isolated N-V center is separated from other elements with magnetic spin by at least approximately 2 microns.

4. The device of claim 1 and further comprising a light source and a light detector coupled to the waveguide.

5. A method comprising:

forming a diamond substrate;

creating a thin layer of CVD diamond supported by the diamond substrate with isolated N-V centers such that at least some of the N-V centers are near no other elements having a magnetic spin.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the thin layer of CVD diamond is formed with minimal 13C.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein isolated N-V centers are separated from other elements with magnetic spin by at least approximately 2 microns.

8. The method of claim 5 and further comprising forming further thin layers of CVD diamond with isolated N-V centers separated by highly pure layers of CVD diamond with minimal magnetic spin elements.

9. The device of claim 8 and further comprising:

locating the isolated N-V centers; and

forming waveguides optically coupled to the located isolated N-V centers in the different thin layers of CVD diamond.

10. A method comprising:

forming a CVD diamond having minimal elements with a magnetic spin; and

selectively forming isolated N-V centers in the CVD diamond.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising forming a waveguide such that an isolated N-V center is optically coupled to the waveguide.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the CVD diamond is heat treated to remove elements with a magnetic spin prior to selectively forming the isolated N-V centers.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein isolated N-V centers are formed by forming a thin layer of CVD diamond with a controlled nitrogen content.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the isolation of the N-V centers is a function of the thickness of the formed thin layer of CVD diamond and the amount of nitrogen.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a thinner layer of CVD diamond is likely to have a high degree of isolation.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the N-V centers are separated from other elements with magnetic spin by at least approximately 2 microns.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the density of N-V centers is approximately 10 ppbillion.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the density of N-V centers is substantially less than 10 ppbillion.

19. A device comprising:

a layer of single crystal diamond;

a waveguide formed in the layer of single crystal diamond; and

an isolated N-V⁻

center optically coupled to the waveguide.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the isolated N-V⁻

center is inside the waveguide.