An apparatus for producing diamond in a deposition chamber including a
heat-sinking holder for holding a diamond and for making thermal contact
with a side surface of the diamond adjacent to an edge of a growth surface
of the diamond, a noncontact temperature measurement device positioned to
measure temperature of the diamond across the growth surface of the
diamond and a main process controller for receiving a temperature
measurement from the noncontact temperature measurement device and
controlling temperature of the growth surface such that all temperature
gradients across the growth surface are less than 20.degree. C. The method
for producing diamond includes positioning diamond in a holder such that a
thermal contact is made with a side surface of the diamond adjacent to an
edge of a growth surface of the diamond, measuring temperature of the
growth surface of the diamond to generate temperature measurements,
controlling temperature of the growth surface based upon the temperature
measurements, and growing single-crystal diamond by microwave plasma
chemical vapor deposition on the growth surface, wherein a growth rate of
the diamond is greater than 1 micrometer per hour.
