The Ion Surface Engineering Program at Southwest Research Institute: Ion Implantation and Coating Deposition via PIll and PIIP

摘要

In 1994, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) established an applied R&D and contract engineering program for the treatment of materials and components using energetic ion beams. Processes include ion implantation of gaseous ions and ion beam assisted deposition of metals, ceramics, and diamond-like carbon. Two vacuum chambers, each approximately 6 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, allow processing of either large tooling or hundreds of smaller items. These resources are currently being used to address the needs of commercial and government clients in a wide variety of areas including friction and wear reduction in metal and ceramic components, biocompatible and catalytic coatings for polymeric materials, and treatments for corrosion and oxidation resistance. Recently, SwRI has added a new capabilities, Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) and Plasma Immersion Ion Processing (PIIP) which allow non-line-of-sight surface modification and coating of materials with higher throughput and potentially lower cost. A review of these emerging technologies (PIII and PIIP) and examples of practical use will be presented.