The researchers — who are based at various institutions in China and Germany — start with a CVD-grown diamond membrane on a silicon substrate and crop the wafer edge. Using the exposed

diamond–substrate edge, the membrane could then be exfoliated using Scotch tape and a peeling machine. The method can create diamond membranes up to 2 inches wide and with an average

roughness of the bottom surface under 1 nm. These were then transferred to polydimethylsiloxane substrates to make flexible diamond strain sensors, which could withstand 10,000 cycles at 2%

strain.