Diamond Electronics in Robotics

Diamond is not just a gemstone, but a wide band-gap semiconductor with electronic properties that far surpass those of conventional electronic materials. Further, diamond is resistant to damage by ionising radiation, high temperatures and corrosive situations. Diamond electronic devices are therefore highly suited for use in extreme environments where conventional electronic devices fail. Diamond is now commercially available at modest cost, in large enough areas for the formation of integrated device structures. The Diamond Electronics Group (DEG) is an internationally leading pioneer in the design, fabrication of diamond devices and sensors. Within the proposed project, this capability will be extended to the integration of discreet devices into circuits, to include active sensing capability.

Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, is the focal point of the European fusion research programme; fusion is considered to be the ultimate 'Green' energy if current technological problems can be overcome. Within the centre, RACE - Remote Applications in Challenging Environments - team work on Robotics. In addition to Fusion reactors, these conditions are found in (fission) nuclear, petrochemical facilities, space exploration, construction and mining, to name a few. The technical challenges include high radiation, extreme temperatures and limited access. The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan underlines the need for radiation resilient electronics for Robotics for 'clean-up' operations.

The synergy between Diamond Devices and Robotics for Extreme Environments is clear. The PhD's aims and objectives are specifically (i) Design, fabricate, test and evaluate discreet diamond devices (transistors, radiation detectors) for accelerated lifetime tests (ii) Design and fabricate the first-ever integrated circuits (ICs) formed from several diamond transistors and characterise their performance (iii) Design and evaluate the integration of diamond radiation detector elements with the simple ICs; test and carry out accelerated lifetime tests.