Harnessing the Brilliance of Diamond for Next-Generation Devices

Diamond, an Ultra-Wide Bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor, stands at the frontier of high-performance electronics, photonics, and quantum technology. The Diamond Research Group (DRG) at CSIR–CEERI is committed to unlocking this potential, developing materials and devices that are ultra-high performance, energy-efficient, and thermally robust for a technologically self-reliant India.

Vision

To be a national and global leader in diamond-based electronic, photonic, and quantum technologies, driving breakthrough innovations in device systems through advanced material integration, precision fabrication, and multidisciplinary research.

Mission

The DRG’s mission is executed through strategic focus areas:

• Advanced Diamond Materials
  Develop and optimize single-crystal and polycrystalline diamond films using advanced techniques like Microwave Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD). Our goal is to achieve device-grade substrates and epilayers essential for next-generation devices.

• Heterogeneous Material Integration
  Realize GaN-on-Diamond and Diamond-on-GaN architectures. This critical research ensures superior thermal management and enables robust devices for high-power and high-frequency applications, crucial for next-generation RF electronics.
• Device Design and Fabrication
  Design, model, and fabricate a range of diamond-based devices, including Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs), MEMS, and devices for photonic and quantum systems. Our work targets applications in power electronics, sensing, and communication systems.
• ntegration of 2D Materials on Diamond
  Investigate and engineer 2D material–on–diamond heterostructures (such as graphene, MoS₂, and h-BN on diamond) to create hybrid platforms for advanced electronics, thermal interfaces, and quantum sensing. The synergy between atomically thin 2D materials and ultra-wide bandgap diamond opens new opportunities for tunable quantum devices, optoelectronics devices etc.
• Quantum and Photonic Platforms
  Explore the unique quantum properties of color centers in diamond (e.g., Nitrogen-Vacancy or NV centers) and develop diamond photonics platforms. This research is foundational for applications in secure communication, precision sensing, and quantum information processing.
• Applied and Translational Research
  Integrate materials science, device physics, and system engineering to translate laboratory research into deployable diamond-based technologies, ensuring real-world impact and commercial viability.
• Capacity Building and Collaboration
  Nurture a national ecosystem of excellence in UWBG technologies by building strategic collaborations with academia, industry, and research organizations, and by training the next generation of researchers in diamond science and technology.

Mandate

Infrastructure & Core R&D

• Establish state-of-the-art infrastructure for diamond growth, characterization, and device fabrication at CSIR–CEERI.
• Conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary R&D on diamond-based and hybrid (GaN–Diamond and 2D–Diamond) device technologies for high-power, high-temperature, and quantum applications.

Technology Transfer & National Impact

• Promote strategic collaborations and technology transfer in the domains of diamond electronics, photonics, and MEMS.
• Support national missions in semiconductor technology, energy efficiency, and quantum communication through diamond-enabled innovations.
• Contribute to India’s technological self-reliance by advancing next-generation Ultra-Wide Bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor device and and 2D–Diamond hybrid semiconductor device research.

Group Head

Group Members