Why tech firm sees Gurnee as the 'diamond prairie,' home to new cellphone, warfare material
If lab-grown diamonds are going to be the next big thing in cellphones and an important part of future warfare, then Wednesday was a historic day in Gurnee.
AKHAN Semiconductors, a high-tech manufacturer based in the village, debuted its new clean room to investors, local leaders and the news media Wednesday morning. The facility will produce the company's patented material, Miraj Diamond, designed to make glass stronger, harder and better able to dissipate heat.
Adam Khan, the company's founder, CEO and namesake, told the crowd it is an exciting time to begin manufacturing.
"The world has been anxiously awaiting the deployment of this technology," Khan said. "We're very proud to scale it here from Gurnee, Illinois, my former hometown, and hopefully it will be henceforth known as the diamond prairie worldwide."
Miraj Diamond is made by spreading microscopic diamonds along a glass surface a few nanometers apart. The glass is placed in a machine that pumps in methane and other gases and applies heat, making the diamonds grow in all directions until they coat the surface.
The company plans to debut Miraj Diamond next year in smartphone screens. Company leaders say it will make the screen six times stronger, 10 times harder and more than 800 times cooler.
Khan said his company has been inundated with orders from big-name cellphone companies.
AKHAN also has received interest from the Pentagon. The company is one of 125 to advance past the first round of a U.S. Army-sponsored competition called the Expeditionary Technology Search. It seeks to engage commercial companies that wouldn't normally participate in defense work.
Last month, AKHAN presented its Miraj Diamond prototype to Army officials in Chicago.
They believe the material's heat dissipation will work well in directed energy systems - laser weapons. AKHAN engineers believe Miraj Diamond-coated components in laser weapons won't melt, and they can coat military equipment or vehicles in Miraj Diamond to better withstand heat from enemy lasers.
Khan said the presentation went well and the company is waiting to hear back. If it wins the competition, the company could receive up to $331,000 in prize money and a contract with the Pentagon.
Local officials including state Sen. Melinda Bush and Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik were among those who toured the new facility.
Khan said the clean room will undergo a final inspection next week, then be enclosed before work begins.