The fabrication of diamond microshells

Abstract

Communication: Miniature hollow diamond shells can be synthesized by conformal diamond coverage using CVD and subsequent etching of the spherical silica matrices. The directional character of DC plasma growth, and the temperature gradient in silica spheres in contact with a cooled substrate, has been exploited to produce shells with a single micrometer-sized aperture. These preliminary results anticipate the use of diamond nanoshells for the controlled release of drugs and novel applications spanning biosensors and medicine.