Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but diamond-based electronics could be the key to carbon neutrality in the energy market — and could even power your laptop one day, according to researchers.
A new study reveals that diamonds could be more effective than silicon in running high-voltage power grids, which are crucial for the efficiency of renewable energy.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, global electricity demand is projected to increase by almost 50% between now and 2050. However, about two-thirds of the energy generated in the US is lost before reach the customer, says Can Bayram, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Not without challenges
Bayram suggests that one solution to improve the efficiency of the power grid is the transition from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). A DC grid could potentially reduce AC grid losses by 90%, eliminating the need for rectifiers and decreasing the need for transformers. Additionally, high-voltage DC networks are more efficient at transmitting power over long distances, making them especially beneficial for remote solar and wind farms.
Power electronics, which controls more than half of the world's electricity, are essential to supporting these grids. Bayram predicts this figure will rise to 80% by 2030 due to the growing adoption of renewable energy. He argues that the future DC grid will require power electronics that are faster and stronger than current silicon devices, and that semiconductor diamond could be the answer.
Diamond, the hardest known semiconductor, is also one of the best thermal conductors and has a high breakdown voltage. This means that diamond semiconductor devices can operate at higher currents and voltages with less material, without experiencing a reduction in electrical performance.
Bayram also notes that diamond-based electronics could result in lower shipping, transportation and installation costs due to their lower weight. However, there are challenges to overcome, such as increasing the thickness of the “drift region” in diamond-based devices, a crucial component for withstanding high voltages.
Despite these obstacles, the research team has achieved record breakdown voltages of approximately 5,000 volts in thin drift layers, demonstrating the lowest leakage current of diamond devices.
“We believe diamond will enter the semiconductor market at high-end power levels, more than 5 megawatts,” Bayram says. “Diamond-based converters will be cost-competitive, because although the diamond device itself is more expensive than typical silicon devices, reducing the size of the semiconductor and simplifying the system, including thermal management, will significantly reduce the total cost.”
The scientists detailed their findings in the journal. IEEE Electronic Device Charters.
