TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026|No. 20289
Technology · Semiconductors · Innovation

Researchers Develop Diamond-Based Transistors with High-Speed Switching

A new partnership between industry and Stanford University has produced diamond transistors that achieve 50x faster switching speeds than traditional designs.

A diamond wafer substrate used for advanced semiconductor research.
A diamond wafer substrate used for advanced semiconductor research. · Photo by Wim Hovens on Unsplash
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Diamond Transistor

50x faster switching

In partnership with Stanford University, we are developing transistors that use diamond as a semiconductor.

Surface transfer doping

Our all-diamond transistors use surface transfer doping to induce charge carriers without introducing substitutional dopant atoms into the bulk crystal. DF Paper in IEEE: On the Conduction Mechanism in Diamond 2-Dimensional Hole Gas Field Effect Transistors

When the surface of a single-crystal diamond wafer is terminated with an atomic layer of hydrogen, its electron affinity becomes negative, allowing electrons to transfer from the diamond valence band to suitable acceptor species (often adsorbates or engineered surface layers) at the surface. This charge transfer leaves behind a high-density two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) confined within a few nanometers of the surface, producing p-type conductivity while preserving the intrinsic purity, thermal conductivity, and breakdown strength of the diamond bulk. Because no ion implantation or lattice substitution is required, surface transfer doping avoids defect generation and carrier scattering associated with conventional doping, making it particularly attractive for high-power, high-frequency, and radiation-hard electronic device platforms.

Matching silicon in subthreshold swing

DF devices now match state-of-the-art 3 nm silicon in subthreshold swing.

R&D Partnerships

Building your own diamond transistors?

We supply diamond substrates to R&D groups developing diamond transistors.

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