SURFACE ETCHED DIAMOND PARTICLES AND METHOD FOR ETCHING THE SURFACE OF DIAMOND PARTICLES

摘要

A method is provided of etching a diamond particle including the step of heating the particle at a temperature of about 700 °C or greater in the presence of water vapor to form an etched particle. Also provided is an etched particle having a core and a surface. The core is formed of sp3 hybridized carbon atoms covalently bonded together, and the surface has substantially no chlorine atoms, oxygen atoms or oxygen species.