Storyline Synthetic diamonds sharpen China's industrial edge [Voice_over] In China, synthetic diamonds are rapidly gaining ground in high-tech sectors like semiconductors and photovoltaics, where their extreme hardness and superior purity give manufacturers a decisive edge over traditional materials. At a factory in Fangcheng County, of central China's Henan Province, production lines hum with activity, producing micron-level single-crystal diamonds, a superior abrasive used to slice solar wafers. According to company officials, their products provide the unmatched hardness and precision that modern chipmakers and solar manufacturers require. [Sound_bite] Qi Yanjie, deputy director, technical center, Zhongnan Diamond Co., Ltd.: "Our presses keep getting bigger. Cylinder size has grown from the original 650 and 800 mm to today's 1,200 mm. As a result, single-cavity diamond yield has doubled, from 200 carats per run to 400 carats. At the same time, cutting kerf loss has dropped from 120 microns to just 30 microns, boosting photovoltaic wafer yield by 80 percent." [Voice_over] Elsewhere in the province, another firm specializes in diamond-embedded superhard products, like these thinning wheels used in the ultra-precise processing of silicon carbide wafers. The firm's deputy general manager says their advanced thinning wheels are now the preferred choice among domestic wafer manufacturers, ending years of heavy reliance on imported alternatives. [Sound_bite] Zhang Gaoliang, deputy general manager, Zhengzhou Sanmo Superhard Materials: "We can achieve nanoscale surface finishing on silicon carbide crystals, with minimum surface roughness down to just 2–3 nanometers. We've now completely replaced imported equivalents in this segment. Order volume for these products has surged by more than 80 percent compared to last year." [Voice_over] Data shows that the output value of China's superhard materials and products industry reached some 14 billion U.S. dollars last year. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]