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East Lansing, 4th April 2006: Michigan State University (MSU)
and Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings and Laser Applications (CCL) have
officially announced the signing of a three-way research agreement. The
focus of the collaboration will be to synthesize high quality diamond
using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques.
Campbell Technological Resources Inc., an Ohio company specializing in
materials processing, is the industry partner funding this multi-year
development. The research will draw on MSU faculty know-how and MSU-patented
CVD diamond reactor technology. Fraunhofer CCL brings a unique industrially
focused perspective in the field of carbon-based materials processing
including diamond and diamond-like materials.
The application potential for this material synthesis technology is huge,
including industrial tools, optical and electronic applications, MEMS
and biomedical devices. "Diamond is a sort of magic material since
it has a host of outstanding properties" according to Jes Asmussen,
who is Fraunhofer CCL's Executive Director, and University Distinguished
Professor and The Richard M. Hong Chaired Professor at MSU. Scientists
are well aware of diamond's exceptional physical properties of extreme
hardness and wear resistance, low coefficient of friction, high thermal
conductivity, and chemical stability. Diamond material innovations are
expected to play an important role in the transformation of many technologies
in the future. Fraunhofer and MSU intend to be at the forefront of this
transformation alongside industrial partners such as Campbell Technological
Resources.
MSU and Fraunhofer formed a close collaboration in 2003 with the goal
of providing research and development services to industry and government
using MSU expertise in carbon-based materials. Fraunhofer plays a special
role in the process of transferring innovation to industry by maintaining
close ties with both university researchers and industry. MSU faculty
work alongside Fraunhofer's engineers to offer a truly integrated service
to Fraunhofer customers. "I found a tremendous pool of knowledge
within the team which made my choice of research partner easy," said
Martin Campbell, Chief Executive of Campbell Technological Resources.
Fraunhofer USA is a non-profit corporation and subsidiary of Fraunhofer
Gesellschaft, a leading international research organization which has
13,000 employees worldwide. As one of the world's largest applied research
and development operations, Fraunhofer conducts cutting-edge research
for industry and government, generating over $1 billion in research revenues.
Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming
lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for 150 years.
MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global
reach and extraordinary impact. Its 15 degree-granting colleges attract
scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical
problem solving.
Contact information:
Claire Rosser
Phone: 1-517-432-8181
Email: mcrosser@egr.msu.edu
or crosser@fraunhofer.org
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