METHOD FOR REMOVING SURFACE FROM DIAMOND BODY

摘要

A diamond body, such as a CVD diamond film, is thinned by placing the body--at an elevated temperature and under pressure--in contact with a molten or partially molten alloy of a rare earth metal and a metallic impurity that lowers the melting point of the rare earth metal. Typically, the rare earth metal is cerium and the impurity is nickel. The pressure is typically less than approximately 0.2 MPa (Mega Pascal), preferably less than approximately 0.02 MPa, and the temperature is within a range whose lower limit is approximately 100 C degrees below the melting point of the alloy of the rare earth plus impurity metal.