December 27, 2024 – The European Commission has approved an €81 million subsidy from the Spanish government for Diamond Foundry’s diamond wafer fabrication plant in Trujillo, western Spain, on the 16th local time.
Diamond, praised by some as the “ultimate semiconductor material,” boasts exceptional material properties such as an ultra-wide bandgap, high carrier mobility, high breakdown field strength, and high thermal conductivity. These qualities make it an ideal material for power semiconductors and chip cooling devices. Additionally, its good transparency and refractive index in the optical field also lend it well to optoelectronic devices.
Diamond Foundry, which successfully manufactured the world’s first single-crystal diamond wafer (4 inches) in 2022, initiated the construction of the Trujillo plant in Spain the following year. The factory, aiming to begin production next year, will supply semiconductor-grade diamond wafers.
With a total investment of approximately €675 million, the plant will utilize plasma reactors to produce diamonds. It will also feature a supporting 120MW solar photovoltaic power plant, fully meeting its own electricity needs, and has an annual production capacity of 4 to 5 million carats (equivalent to 800 to 1,000 kilograms).
