The mainstream artificial diamond production processes include High Temperature High Pressure (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Less common processes include explosive methods, and emerging methods are still in the laboratory research and development stage. Details are as follows:
High Temperature High Pressure (HPHT) – Current Mainstream Industrial Process
This is the earliest industrialized and most technologically mature diamond preparation method, and it is currently the main production method for industrial-grade diamonds and gem-quality lab-grown diamonds.
Core Principle: Simulating the natural diamond formation environment, under high pressure (5-7 GPa) and high temperature (1300-1600℃), a catalyst such as nickel, iron, or cobalt is used to promote the rearrangement of carbon atoms in high-purity graphite powder, directly transforming it into diamond crystals. In industrial production, a six-sided hydraulic press is mainly used to provide a stable high-pressure environment, capable of outputting tens of thousands of tons of pressure to meet synthesis requirements.
Advantages of the Process: Mature technology, high output, and relatively low cost. The synthesized diamond has high crystallinity and excellent mechanical strength, suitable for producing industrial abrasives and cutting tools, as well as growing large-size gem-quality single-crystal diamonds (Power Diamond used this process to grow a 156.47-carat super-large rough diamond in 2025).
Limitations: Extremely high requirements for equipment pressure resistance; difficult to prepare large-size continuous diamond films.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) – Core Process for Functional Diamonds
Primarily for high-end applications such as large-area diamond films and semiconductor heat dissipation substrates:
Core Principle: Under low/normal pressure conditions, carbon-containing gases such as methane and acetylene are activated by plasma or thermal energy, decomposing them into active carbon groups, which are then deposited and grown on the substrate surface to form diamond films/single crystals. Based on energy input methods, CVD can be categorized as follows:
Microwave Plasma CVD (MPCVD): High growth quality, primarily used for preparing high-quality single crystals, but equipment costs are high;
Hot Filament CVD (HFCVD): Low equipment cost and fast growth, but prone to introducing impurities;
DC Arc Plasma Jet CVD: Fast growth rate and relatively lower cost.
Process Advantages: High product purity, capable of preparing large-area uniform thin films, making it the preferred process for semiconductor heat dissipation and precision cutting tools. In 2026, Huanghe Whirlwind announced that its 8-inch diamond heat sinks using this route would soon be in mass production, and Sifangda has also achieved 12-inch substrate fabrication capabilities.
Current Development Status: my country has made breakthroughs in large-size fabrication technology. The Jilin University team successfully prepared 2-inch high-quality single-crystal diamond in 2026.
