(19)
(11) EP 2 058 419 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC

(15) Correction information:
Corrected version no 1 (W1 A1)

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
22.07.2009 Bulletin 2009/30

(43) Date of publication:
13.05.2009 Bulletin 2009/20

(21) Application number: 07806496.1

(22) Date of filing: 31.08.2007
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
C30B 29/04(2006.01)
C25F 3/02(2006.01)
 C23C 16/56(2006.01)
(86) International application number:
PCT/JP2007/067023
(87) International publication number:
WO 2008/029736 (13.03.2008 Gazette 2008/11)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 04.09.2006 JP 2006238402

(71) Applicant: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Tokyo 100-8921 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • MOKUNO, Yoshiaki
    Ikeda-shi, Osaka 563-8577 (JP)
  • CHAYAHARA, Akiyoshi
    Ikeda-shi, Osaka 563-8577 (JP)
  • YAMADA, Hideaki
    Ikeda-shi, Osaka 563-8577 (JP)

(74) Representative: Müller-Boré & Partner Patentanwälte 
Grafinger Strasse 2
81671 München
81671 München (DE)

   


(54) METHOD FOR SEPARATING SURFACE LAYER OR GROWTH LAYER OF DIAMOND


(57) The present invention provides a method for separating a surface layer of a diamond, which comprises implanting ions into a diamond to form a non-diamond layer near a surface of the diamond; and etching the non-diamond layer in the diamond by applying an alternating-current voltage across electrodes in an electrolytic solution; and a method for separating a grown layer of a diamond, which further comprises the step of growing a diamond by a vapor-phase synthesis method, after forming a non-diamond layer according to the above-described method.
The invention is applicable to various single-crystal and polycrystal diamonds. More specifically, even with a large single-crystal diamond, a portion of the single-crystal diamond can be efficiently separated in a reusable form in a relatively short period of time.