HKU's Diamond Membranes Shatter Industry Barriers

The research team led by Professor Zhiqin Chu, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, and Professor Yuan Lin, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has developed a novel technique called ‘Edge-Exposed Exfoliation.' This breakthrough shatters decades-old manufacturing bottlenecks in materials science and the semiconductor industry, successfully enabling mass-production of large-area, flexible diamond membranes with ultra-flat surfaces at low-cost and high-efficiency. This research has been published in the prestigious international journal Nature, and has received numerous international honors, including the 'Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year' from the ‘Falling Walls Foundation 2025' and a 'Gold Medal' at the 'International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva', marking a significant step in the commercialisation of diamond semiconductor technology.

HKU's Revolutionary Diamond Membranes

Addressing Industry Pain Points: Overcoming Cost and Scalability Challenges

Diamond is not only a precious gemstone but is also regarded as the 'ultimate semiconductor material.' Its exceptional thermal conductivity and extremely high carrier mobility make it an ideal semiconductor. However, traditional methods of synthesising diamond membranes are typically costly, slow, and limited in size, with insufficient surface flatness, severely constraining their commercial applications and industry development. The HKU team has revolutionised the production process of high-quality diamond membranes. This technology can produce 2-inch diamond wafers in just 10 seconds, with production costs at 1/1000th of previous methods.

Compared to previous expensive, time-consuming, and non-scalable processes, this technology is ready for immediate industrial-grade speed and scalability, while ensuring products have atomically flawless surfaces and excellent flexibility. This foundation sets the stage for precision manufacturing at the micro-nano level and applications in flexible electronics, moving diamond from the lab to widespread applications, including in high-power electronics, quantum technologies, advanced RF systems, and optoelectronics.

Diamond Membrane Technology

Diamond Membrane Technology

Three Core Technologies of Diamond Membranes

• Cost-effective – Production costs have reduced to 1/1000th of previous technologies, transforming diamond from an expensive laboratory material into an affordable industrial-grade component.

• High-Speed, Scalable Industrial Process – The process is rapid, stable, and scalable, ready for immediate industrialisation and advancing the technology from the lab to the market.

• Flawless, Flexible, Ultra-Flat Product Characteristics – The resulting diamond membranes are flawless, flexible, featuring extremely flat surfaces, meeting the stringent requirements of high-precision optoelectronic and semiconductor processes.

Diamond Membrane Technology

Prof. Zhiqin Chu and Prof

Professor Chu stated, ‘The company we founded, DiamNEX, is dedicated to promoting the research, production, and commercialisation of diamond membrane materials. Our technology and development prospects have received high recognition in the market. The company successfully completed over 10 million in angel round financing last year and is currently focused on advancing its industrialisation plans. We look forward to collaborating with academic and industry partners to bring this revolutionary product to market and accelerate the arrival of diamond era.'

Statement of HKSAR Government on decision of the United States in not renewing national emergency relating to Hong Kong

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said today (July 17), the decision of the United States (US) in not renewing the national emergency relating to Hong Kong marks an important step taken by the US side in implementing the consensus reached during economic and trade consultation between China and the US. Safeguarding Hong Kong's prosperity and stability serves the common interests of China and the US, and also aligns with the general expectation of the international community. The HKSAR Government notes this positive shift in the US policy on Hong Kong. It looks upon the US side to respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in the HKSAR, and resume as well as strengthen normal economic and trade exchanges with the HKSAR.

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