CVD Diamond (Optical)
CVD Diamond (Optical) is free-standing polycrystalline diamond grown by chemical vapour deposition and finished as windows, domes and plates.
Reference datasheet — CVD Diamond (Optical) is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
CVD Diamond (Optical) tempers and conditions
CVD Diamond (Optical) is supplied in 3 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thermal management grade polycrystalline CVD diamond heat spreader | Choose for laser-diode and RF/GaN heat spreaders where thermal conductivity and metallisability matter but optical clarity does not. | 350 | 0.03 | 1,800 W/m·K | ||
Mechanical / tool grade thick polycrystalline CVD diamond | Choose for cutting-tool inserts, wire-drawing dies, wear parts and probe tips where strength and wear life beat optical purity. | 500 | 0.05 | 1,300 W/m·K | ||
Single-crystal CVD diamond | Choose for small apertures needing zero grain-boundary scatter: Raman lasers, X-ray optics, anvils, radiation detectors and quantum devices. | 2,200 W/m·K |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways CVD Diamond (Optical) is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
OPTDefault | Optical grade polycrystalline CVD diamond | Grade option |
What is CVD Diamond (Optical)?
CVD Diamond (Optical) is free-standing polycrystalline diamond grown by chemical vapour deposition and finished as windows, domes and plates. It offers the widest optical transmission range of any window material combined with a thermal conductivity near 2000 W/m·K, an elastic modulus of about 1140 GPa and extreme hardness, so beam-induced heating is conducted away rather than distorting the optic. Engineers specify it for high-power laser and IR service where ZnSe or sapphire would absorb, deform or fracture. Limits are cost, wafer size (typically up to about 150 mm), a machinability score of 1 (no conventional cutting) and oxidation above roughly 600 °C service temperature. CVD Diamond (Optical) has a density of 3.51 g/cm³ (0.127 lb/in³), heavier than 67% of glass grades. It melts at 3,550°C (6,422 °F). CVD Diamond (Optical) has a tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi), stronger than 93% of glass grades. The elastic modulus is 1,140 GPa (165.3 Msi).
What is CVD Diamond (Optical) used for?
- high-power CO2 laser windows
- gyrotron windows
- IR sensor domes
- extreme-environment optics
Advantages
- Stiff — 1,140 GPa (165.3 Msi), better than 100% of glass grades
- Tough — resists crack growth — 5.5 MPa·√m (5.01 ksi·√in), better than 100% of glass grades
- Conducts heat well — 2,000 W/m·K (1,155.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of glass grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 99/100, better than 100% of glass grades
Limitations
- Difficult to machine — 1/100, worse than 100% of glass grades
CVD Diamond (Optical) properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among glass grades.
Physical5
CVD Diamond (Optical) has a density of 3.51 g/cm³ (0.127 lb/in³), heavier than 67% of glass grades. It melts at 3,550°C (6,422 °F).
Mechanical10
CVD Diamond (Optical) has a tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi), stronger than 93% of glass grades. The elastic modulus is 1,140 GPa (165.3 Msi).
Thermal5
CVD Diamond (Optical) is rated for continuous service to 600°C (1,112 °F). It conducts heat at 2,000 W/m·K (1,155.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 100% of glass grades. Thermal expansion is 1.1 µm/m·K (0.611 µin/in·°F).
Electrical4
CVD Diamond (Optical) has an electrical resistivity of 1×10¹³ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is excellent (99/100), better than 100% of glass grades.
Sustainability1
Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
CVD Diamond (Optical)'s machinability is not recommended (1/100, worse than 100% of glass grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the glass family
Yield strength against density for every glass grade FabDigit runs. CVD Diamond (Optical) is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with CVD Diamond (Optical)
Is CVD Diamond (Optical) easy to machine?
No conventional machining — shaping is by pulsed laser cutting/drilling, then lapping and scaife or ion-beam polishing with diamond grit.
Can CVD Diamond (Optical) be welded?
Cannot be welded; joined by active brazing with Ti/Cr-containing filler (TiCuSil) below ~850 °C in vacuum, or by metallised (Ti/Pt/Au) solder joints.
Can CVD Diamond (Optical) be formed, bent or molded?
Grown near-net-thickness as free-standing plate by microwave-plasma or hot-filament CVD on Si/Mo substrates at ~700–1000 °C, then laser-trimmed; wafer sizes typically up to ~150 mm.
CVD Diamond (Optical) chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Nsubstitutional nitrogen, typically <1 ppm in optical grade | ≤ 5×10⁻⁴ | 5×10⁻⁵ |
| Hhydrogen bonded at grain boundaries from the CH4/H2 growth chemistry | ≤ 0.01 | 0 |
| Sitrace, from reactor window/holder (SiV centre) | ≤ 2×10⁻⁴ | |
| Btrace unless intentionally doped for conductive grades | ≤ 5×10⁻⁵ | |
| Csp3 diamond carbon; non-diamond (sp2) content kept below Raman detection in optical grade | ≥ 99.95 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on CVD Diamond (Optical)?
Polished to <5 nm Ra on both faces; single- or dual-band AR coatings (or laser-machined moth-eye surface structures) raise transmission from ~71 % to >98 %.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to CVD Diamond (Optical) in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Also called
- CVD Diamond
How much does CVD Diamond (Optical) cost?
CVD Diamond (Optical) is a high-cost glass ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
CVD Diamond (Optical) — frequently asked
What is CVD Diamond (Optical) used for?
CVD Diamond (Optical) is typically used for high-power CO2 laser windows, gyrotron windows, IR sensor domes and extreme-environment optics. In short: widest optical transmission range; highest thermal conductivity window; hardest optical material.
What is the tensile strength of CVD Diamond (Optical)?
CVD Diamond (Optical) has a typical tensile strength of 400 MPa (58 ksi) — stronger than 93% of glass grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is CVD Diamond (Optical) easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (1/100, worse than 100% of glass grades). No conventional machining — shaping is by pulsed laser cutting/drilling, then lapping and scaife or ion-beam polishing with diamond grit.
Can CVD Diamond (Optical) be welded?
Cannot be welded; joined by active brazing with Ti/Cr-containing filler (TiCuSil) below ~850 °C in vacuum, or by metallised (Ti/Pt/Au) solder joints.
What surface finishes work on CVD Diamond (Optical)?
Polished to <5 nm Ra on both faces; single- or dual-band AR coatings (or laser-machined moth-eye surface structures) raise transmission from ~71 % to >98 %.
Can CVD Diamond (Optical) be formed, bent or molded?
Grown near-net-thickness as free-standing plate by microwave-plasma or hot-filament CVD on Si/Mo substrates at ~700–1000 °C, then laser-trimmed; wafer sizes typically up to ~150 mm.
What is the maximum service temperature of CVD Diamond (Optical)?
CVD Diamond (Optical) is rated for continuous use to about 600°C (1,112 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does CVD Diamond (Optical) cost?
CVD Diamond (Optical) is a high-cost glass ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Diamond material properties — optical, thermal and mechanical grades — Element Six (2023)
- CVD Diamond Optics and Heat Spreaders — Coherent / II-VI Diamond (2023)
- ASM Engineered Materials Handbook Vol.4: Ceramics and Glasses — ASM International (1991)
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics — CRC Press (2020)
- Optical constants and transmission data for diamond — refractiveindex.info / Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (1998)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.