Abstract: Diamond has excellent properties and broad application prospects in the fields of optics, electronic device thermal management, and wide bandgap semiconductors, and is known as the ultimate semiconductor. As an optical window, a large-sized CVD diamond free-standing thick film with a thickness of ≥2 mm is required. In semiconductor heat dissipation, a diamond free-standing film with a diameter over 4 inches and a thickness of 100 microns is required to bond with semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride (GaN). However, due to technological limitations, there are still significant difficulties in the synthesis and application of large-area CVD diamond films. On the one hand, stress during the deposition process can cause the diamond film to rupture. On the other hand, residual stress can cause the diamond film to warp, resulting in poor bonding quality. Therefore, controlling the stress of diamond films has become a key issue for the large-scale and widespread application of diamond films. This article summarizes the classification, sources, and influencing factors of CVD diamond stress, and provides a detailed introduction to measures to suppress stress in diamond films. At the same time, research on improving diamond properties by artificially applying stress was summarized, including changing the bandgap of diamond and increasing the thermal conductivity of diamond under stress. Finally, a method and theoretical calculation formula for evaluating the stress magnitude of diamond were provided, and the future trend of stress research on diamond films was analyzed.

Key words: CVD diamond, films stress, stress application, stress restraint, stress measurement, review