"Back in 2011, the world held its breath after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan suffered a failure of its cooling systems, in the wake of the country getting hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The worry was not unfounded: the resulting meltdown - which spread highly radioactive material in multiple directions - became one of the worst nuclear-related disasters of all time."
"A groundbreaking startup from Japan, Ookuma Diamond Device (ODD), is playing a fascinating part in the process, by way of diamond chips that are being used in efforts to remove radioactive debris, by way of diamond-chip-powered amplifiers. And now, it has raised 4 billion yen, equivalent to approximately $27 million, to build the world's first diamond semiconductor manufacturing facility in nearby Ookuma, also in Fukushima."
"ODD's plans are to build the factory in January 2025 and have it up and running by Summer 2026. Why use diamond chips rather than traditional silicon-based semiconductors? Diamond is known as a wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor material - others include SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride). WBG materials are considered to have better power conversion efficiency and exceptional thermal management."
"Diamond semiconductors act more like powerful control devices than small electricity sources, Cocal Capital partner Ken Nishimura told TechCrunch. He said that the diamond semiconductor will be used in larger facilities such as nuclear power plants that require super high temperatures and radiation levels, which silicon-based chips cannot withstand."
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