Recent breakthroughs in the synthesis of diamond have led to increased availability at lower cost. This has spurred R&D into its characterization and application in machine tools, optical coatings, X-ray windows and light-emitting optoelectronic devices. In the longer term, diamond's high thermal conductivity and electron mobility make it potentially useful for integrated circuit applications (e.g. in heat sinks).

This book draws together expertise from some 60 researchers in Europe and the USA working on bulk and thin film diamond. All fully refereed, the contributions are...