Plasma-Activated Electron beam Physical Vapor Deposition-novel Technologies and Tools

摘要

The potential of plasma-activated high-rate deposition of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), a material typically used for thermal barrier coatings, was studied utilizing a hollow cathode arc plasma source and an axial EB gun. The influence of plasma parameters on microstructure and properties of the grown layers was investigated. It could be validated that, with plasma activation, dense YSZ layers can be deposited at a rate of 20...50 nm/s in contrast to the typically columnar microstructure of coatings deposited by EB evaporation without plasma. The challenging process conditions met in plasma-activated high-rate EB-PVD have triggered equipment innovations concerning the EB guns and the high-voltage power supplies, which enable new applications now.