2. Limited Liability Company
Scientifically - product company Epikrist
♦ Location: Russia, Stavropol Krai, Stavropol
♦ Director: Golovko Sergey Nikolaevich
♦ Number of employees: 40
♦ Branch: Radio-electronic (micro and nanoelectronic), jewelry, industrial
The Epikrist company has been founded in 2008 for the purpose of synthesis of nitrogen-free monocrystals on diamond
type Ila- of the large sizes and the highest quality by the HPHT method, and also diamond synthesis by the CVD method.
Technology development of drawing heterostructural layers of semiconductors on diamond wafers.
In 2017-2018 our production was repeatedly shown at Gemological exhibitions of the USA.
In 2018 the institute of GIA (Carlsbat, USA) recognized the quality of our synthetic diamonds as one of
the best in the world (color D-E transparency IF-VS)
3. ♦ More than 14000 square meters of the floor and auxiliary spaces;
♦ the electric power - 8 MW;
♦ the cycle of water supply and water disposal, a water cooling cycle up to 5 MW;
♦ specialized drains for chemical and poisonous waste;
♦ shop of processing of refractory metals;
♦ shop of cutting, polishing of monocrystals;
♦ we possess the equipment for growth (synthesis) of monocrystals by methods: HPHT, CVD, Kiropulos, Chakhralsky.
Production premises of our plant
6. Production cycles of monocrystals synthesis by methods
Kiropulos, Chakhralsky, GNK
7. We believe that new technologies and their development have to exist in continuous harmony with the
environment, replacing obsolete methods of receiving diamond raw materials which bear irreparable
anthropogenic impact on the nature.
Our advantages
identity uniqueness responsibility dynamism flexibility
The grown-up diamond
on all
properties is absolutely
identical
to nature
The advanced
technology allows
cultivation of the cleanest
diamond monocrystals
New technologies have
replaced heavy
machinery and the work
doing harm to the nature
Process of diamond
growth is improved daily
thanks to the latest
technologies
Implementation of difficult
and exigent orders
8. natural diamond synthetic diamond
Created from carbohydrate deposits on a
depth of 150 km in an Earth's mantle.
Formation takes more than one million
years.
Grown up in vitro in a press or in the reactor; process at an
extreme temperature, pressure and presence of gases.
Production takes from 5 to 15 days
This mineral is formed of carbon, being firm
and adamantine. Faultless diamonds meet
seldom. High level of inclusions in the found
diamonds of lower class.
Have the same chemical and physical properties as natural
diamonds.
Faultless diamonds can be made in large numbers with the
smaller number of inclusions.
Process of production is made deeply and
does big ecological harm. Diamonds are still
smuggled from conflict zones in Africa,
widely known, as bloody diamonds.
Synthetic diamonds frictionless also cause less pollution in the
environment.
Nature of production
/ formation
Properties of a
product
Risk
Difference between natural and synthetic diamonds
9. Achievements of our company
Grown up by our company: 5.06 Cts,
D,IF
5.38 Cts,
VVS2, Fancy
Intense Blue
production technology
High pressure and high temperature (HPHT)
Controlled synthesis of diamond monocrystals on a priming
Chemical sedimentation of carbon from a gas phase
1. Cultivation of diamond monocrystals on single-crystal HPHT – or CVD – a substrate.
2. Cultivation of diamond polycrystals on crystal substrates from other materials
(diamond polycrystals, silicon, carbides or nitrides of various materials).
HPHT and CVD – the most widespread methods of diamonds. synthesis. In the Epikrist company the HPHT technology is used
(high pressures and temperatures), namely a method of controlled synthesis of diamond monocrystals on a priming. Until recently
it was considered that the HPHT technology allows to try to obtain the big sizes of diamond, however considerably concedes in purity
CVD technologies – it happens because of catalyst metal which is used for growth process stabilization.
We have solved two tasks: synthesis of especially large diamond crystals and receiving high-quality crystals
10. The technology of growing synthetic diamonds
High pressure high temperature diamond growth was first announced by the General Electric company in
1955 and a few years later this process was developed by Soviet scientists.
Today most HPHT synthesis has it's origins in the temperature gradient method. High pressure reactor
chamber design and control of diamond growth parameters have advanced considerably in recent years.
In general, HPHT growth proceeds at temperatures and pressures designed to approximate the
conditions of natural diamond growth.
In HPHT growth, a carbon source such as graphite is placed in the reactor chamber with other
ingredients to facilitate diamond growth atop a diamond seed. A molten metal catalyst (usually Fe, Co,
No or other elements) allows growth to proceed at lower temperatures (1300-1600 centigrade) and
pressures at 50-80000 atmospheres. The maximum size of diamond crystal for the present time is more
than 30 cts. But regular size is between 3-6 cts (time to grow is about one week).
Color of cut diamonds from such crystals is D or E. Clarity is about VVS and VS.
It is possible to grow also blue and yellow diamonds crystals (to create pink and red color additional
treatment is necessary to apply).
Chemical vapor deposition is a method by which diamond can be grown from hydrocarbon gas
mixture. Since early 1980s, this method had been the subject of intensive world wide research. The
advantages of CVD diamond growth include the ability to grow diamonds over later areas and on
various substrates and the fine control over the chemical impurities of the diamond. The substrate
preparation includes choosing an appropriate material and it's crystallographic orientation, cleaning
it, often with diamond powder to abrade non-diamond substrate, and optimizing of substrate
temperature (800 centigrade). Mixture of methane and hydrogen were used. The gases are ionized
into chemically active radicals using microwave power, hot filament, an arc discharge, a laser and
other means. Theoretically growth up to 260 carats is possible by CVD method. At the present time
sizes of grown CVD diamonds are 4-6 carats
pressure
graphite
piston
the walls of
the chamber
means to
transmit the
pressure
heater
metal melt
temperature
gradient
(20-50 оС)
high
temperature
low temperature
diamond
filling
growing crystal
Gaseous
hydrocarbons
Plasma
The microwave
generator
Waveguide
Heater
Resonator
11. Applications areas
JEWELRY
Cut lab grown absolutely identical cut natural diamonds
OPTICS
e.g. windows for different scientific and analytical equipment
POWER AND MICRO ELECTRONICS
DETECTORS
e.g. for radiation
QUANTUM COMPUTING
HEAT SPREADERS
CUTTING TOOLS
WAFERS
According to our technology we could grow diamond crystals with controlled physico-chemical properties (control of
nature and concentration of vacancies, control concentration of additional elements - boron, nitrogen and others).
Because of that features such crystals could be used in different areas
12. Diamonds
Diamonds of Epikrist company are produced from own grown-up quality diamond.
Using advanced HPHT technology of diamond monocrystals growth , we manage
to grow up the largest and pure diamonds in the world of which we also make our diamonds.
On all physical, chemical, optical and esthetic properties our diamonds are impossible
to distinguish from natural as the HPHT technology completely recreates natural conditions of growth
diamond in our laboratories
Epikrist one of the few companies in the world possessing the production technology of diamonds
fantasy blue color (Fancy Blue), not distinguishable from natural color.
The Epikrist company synthesizes by CVD method one of the best in the world diamond polycrystals on
optical properties up to 100 mm in size.
All our diamonds of 100% are frictionless, environmentally friendly are also certified in international
gemological laboratories, such as IGI and GIA.
13. Diamond plates
High-quality diamond plates from the grown-up (synthetic) HPHT diamond of Epikrist company
have no tension, defects, superficial cracks and chips.
Main advantages of plates are the big working faultless surface, ideal crystal structure, low level dislocations and uncontrollable impurity.
Thanks to above-mentioned characteristics of diamond ours
plates show the low level of two-refraction and background fluorescence.
the unique HPHT technology of diamond monocrystals growth allows to make impressively big
substrates up to 12.0 x 12.0 mm.
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
3.0 х 3.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
4.0 х 4.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
5.0 х 5.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
6.0 х 6.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
7.0 х 7.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
8.0 х 8.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
9.0 х 9.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
DIAMOND PLATE (100)
10.0 х 10.0 х 0.5 мм
типа lla
14. Diamond raw materials
The Epikrist company makes the world's largest diamond monocrystals of the highest quality thanks to
advanced HPHT technology of diamonds growth. Our diamonds are world famous by the ideal
structure, low levels of dislocations and uncontrollable impurity and also repeatability of quality.
The unique technology of management of diamond growth morphology allows to grow up diamonds with high
exit of suitable more than 60%.
We make colourless (IIa type) and color (pink, red, yellow, blue IIb type) diamonds. Diamonds are produced in lots
sizes of 8-10 GR till 10:00 Cts.
15. Site of CVD of synthesis
CVD park of reactors:
♦ about 80% - cars of the Russian production,
consisting for 70% from the Russian accessories
(own technology, low prime cost);
♦ about 20% of the car of import production
(Japan – the leading global manufacturer,
direct contracts).
CVD synthesis process is extremely power-intensive.
Total electricity consumption on one reactor
about 40 kW can reach and make up to 15% in structure
production expenses for this process.
Total demand of power supply for the project of 10 MW
Initial material for synthesis
substrates from natural serve or
synthetic diamond. Size
the grown-up crystal is defined
size of an initial substrate.
Reuse is allowed
substrates up to 8 times.
Hydrogen (purity of 99.9999%)
main component of gas mix.
Own system is supposed
generation and purification of hydrogen
(industrial generator of hydrogen
Russian production).
Carbon source for chemical sedimentation is methane,
entering the gas mix forming plasma (CH4 ~ 5%, H2 ~ 95%).
The cost of high-pure methane in structure of expenses is insignificant.
High-pure methane is bought on GPP in cylinders 40 l / 60 l
(pressure of 150 bars), an expense less than 10 cylinders a month. For a row
specific processes to gas mix can be added nitrogen,
oxygen, bar and other gases.
16. Depending on requirements to quality of end products and the offered further processing,
growth rate of crystals in the CVD reactor can significantly vary.
Supernet growth of 2-6 microns/h
Rapid growth of 10-25 microns/h
Superrapid growth up to 60 microns/h and more
A unique set of parameters of the synthesis process, including temperature and pressure in the growth camera,
composition of gas mix and others, are a trade secret and are subject to patenting.
The company is an owner of the corresponding patents.
17. Site of HPHT synthesis
HPHT park of processes:
♦ heavy HPHT processes 850 series (China)
♦ Energy consumption in the course of synthesis of HPHT is lower, than at CVD.
In this case in structure of production expenses the greatest
weight has the cost of the growth cells of high pressure (CHP).
♦ the Main component of a cell is the carbon source –
graphite (purity of 99.9995%), but at cost some components,
forming the catalyst, considerably surpass cost
the used graphite.
♦ At the moment high-pure graphite is bought in
the main abroad (Germany).
The unique composition of furnace charge is subject to patenting.
The company is an owner of the corresponding patents.
Raster cell
Carbon source
Metal catalyst
Graphitic
heater
Temperature
Gradient
(20о
-50о
)
Growing crystal
InsulatorCrystal
seedPunch
18. Sites of additional processing, laser cutting, polishing
Hot isostatic press, easy HPHT press,
the muffle furnaces, electronic gun.
Appointment:
♦ removal of intense states in
to crystal lattice, arising
in the course of CVD of synthesis;
♦ improvement of color characteristics;
♦ increase in purity of crystals.
Equipment Lapmaster.
Appointment:
♦ fair processing of diamond plates
(polishing, grinding, operational development).
Corborn LD2 Laster Cutter machine,
Quazer of Sarin
Appointment:
♦ cutting diamond plates;
♦ preliminary facet,
shaping;
♦ engraving and marking of products;.
♦ profile cutting
♦ cutting of finished products.
• * - equipment samples are presented
19. Our team
Head of the site of synthesis
diamond by CVD method.
Tarala Vitaly Alekseyevich –
Candidate of Chemistry.
Manager of scientific laboratory
complex of clean zones of institute
power industry, electronics and
nanotechnologies North Caucasian
federal university.
Is one of leaders world
scientists in the field of diamonds synthesis and
silicon carbide by CVD method.
In the field of microelectronics is developed
and patented receiving
epitaxial films of nitride of gallium
and aluminum on silicon carbide, method
Atomic sedimentation.
Dziov David Timurovich –
chief technologist of the enterprise
Supervises syntheses of monocrystals
by Kiropulos, Chakhralsky's methods
and GNK.
Research supervisor of the enterprise
Sinelnikov Boris Mikhaylovich.
In 1970 had with honors graduated from
the Moscow chemical institute of technology of D.I. Mendeleyev,
in 1973 – had defended candidate dissertation,
and in 1985 – the doctoral dissertation.
In 1986 the rank of professor is given. In 1994 B.M. Sinelnikov
became the full member of Academy of technological
sciences of the Russian Federation.
The outstanding scientist in the field of chemistry of a solid body,
optoelectronics, monocrystals technologies and microelectronics.
The last 15 years is engaged in developments in the field of receiving
diamonds and diamondlike materials. He has published over 500
scientific works. Under his management 17 candidate and 6 doctoral
dissertations are defended.
Awards:
1994 – honored worker of science of the Russian Federation;
1999 – Order of Honour;
2002 - Award of the Russian Federation Government;
2005 – Order "For Merits to the Fatherland" of the VI degree.
