Dymalloy is prepared from diamond powder of about 25 micrometers size. The grains are coated by physical vapor deposition with 10 nanometers thick layer of alloy of tungsten with 26% rhenium, forming a tungsten carbide layer that assists bonding, then coated with 100 nanometers of copper to avoid carbide oxidation, then compacted in a mold and infiltrated with molten copper-silver alloy. Adding 55 vol.% of diamond yields material with thermal expansion matching that of gallium arsenide; slightly higher amount of diamond allows matching to silicon. Copper can be used instead of copper-silver alloy, but the higher melting point may cause partial transformation of diamond to graphite. The material shows some plasticity. High mechanical strain causes brittle failure in the diamond grains, and ductile failure in the matrix. The diamond grains give the alloy a degree of surface texture; when a smooth surface is desired, the alloy can be plated and polished.
