Microwave plasma CVD diamond systems, materials, and process expertise
Carat Systems develops microwave plasma CVD diamond reactors, diamond materials, and advanced deposition processes for research, industrial production, electronics, optics, thermal management, fusion energy, and technical diamond applications.
Carat Systems combines reactor design, diamond growth processes, and technical diamond material development.
Company overview
Founded in 1998, Carat Systems is a Boston-area CVD diamond technology company serving customers who need advanced diamond deposition equipment, process development, and technical diamond materials. The company supports universities, national laboratories, semiconductor developers, optics manufacturers, thermal management programs, fusion energy efforts, and diamond producers worldwide.
Carat's work spans 2.45 GHz microwave plasma CVD systems, 915 MHz scale-up platforms, diamond-on-silicon development, polycrystalline and single-crystal diamond growth, optical diamond, UNCD and BEN process capability, and custom coating programs.
What differentiates Carat
Reactor heritage
Carat builds on decades of microwave plasma CVD diamond reactor experience, including ASTeX-era commercial diamond system development.
Process depth
Carat supports customers with diamond growth process development, uniformity optimization, nucleation, polishing, and application-specific coating work.
System and material path
Customers can evaluate equipment, sample coating, diamond material, and process transfer as connected parts of one development path.
Core capabilities
- Microwave plasma CVD diamond reactors
- 2.45 GHz research and pilot production systems
- 915 MHz high-power scale-up systems
- Polycrystalline CVD diamond wafers and plates
- Diamond-on-silicon process development
- Thermal spreader development
- UNCD and bias enhanced nucleation capability
- Custom diamond coating programs
- Thickness mapping, reflectometry, and process metrology development
Mission
Carat's mission is to provide world-class tools, materials, and process knowledge for the development and production of CVD diamond. We help customers use diamond where its properties matter: thermal conductivity, optical transparency, chemical resistance, plasma compatibility, radiation hardness, high electric-field performance, and extreme material durability.
Lab-grown diamond also provides a route to diamond materials without the environmental and supply-chain issues associated with mined diamond.
Technical heritage
Carat Systems benefits from technology, employees, and consultants originally connected to Applied Science and Technology, Inc. ASTeX was among the first companies to commercially offer microwave plasma systems for diamond deposition and played a central role in early commercial CVD diamond reactor development.
Carat has continued that engineering lineage with modernized, modular reactor platforms designed for high-purity growth, flexible process control, serviceability, and production-oriented manufacturing. Carat systems are built with attention to reliability, process range, safety, supplier independence, and upgradeability.
Carat's experience includes competitive programs supported by U.S. government and defense customers, technical diamond development for demanding applications, and commercial diamond reactor manufacturing.
Leadership and technical heritage
Dr. Roy Gat, Founder and CEO
Dr. Roy Gat founded Carat Systems in 1998. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and previously worked as a product manager and research scientist at ASTeX, where he contributed to commercial microwave plasma CVD diamond system development.
Dr. Gat has presented at international diamond and materials conferences and has served as a session chair, symposium organizer, and technical committee member in the diamond materials community.
In recognition of the original MW CVD pioneers
We honor the pioneering scientists and engineers who established microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MW CVD) diamond technology.
Foundational work at the National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials (NIRIM) demonstrated diamond synthesis in microwave plasma environments (Kamo, Sato, Matsumoto, and Setaka, Journal of Crystal Growth, 1983), establishing the basis for modern plasma-assisted diamond growth systems.
We also recognize the original equipment developers at ASTeX whose engineering work translated laboratory plasma science into reliable industrial systems, including R. Post, D. Smith, and V. Berkman, whose contributions helped define the architecture of commercial microwave plasma CVD platforms.
Customer support and training
Carat supports customers with system training, commissioning, process startup, and technical support. Customers can receive training in operation, maintenance, and baseline diamond growth methods before and during system installation.
For suitable programs, customers may also perform development work at Carat while their system is being manufactured, helping reduce production ramp-up time.
CVD diamond technology
CVD diamond is an enabling material for demanding applications where conventional materials are limited by heat, plasma exposure, optical power, radiation, chemical attack, or electric-field stress.
Carat works with customers to connect material requirements to reactor design, process conditions, substrate handling, metrology, and scale-up strategy.