Laser diagnostics and modeling of plasma assisted CVD. Final technical report

摘要

Plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) represents a novel approach for utilizing the nonequilibrium effects of reactive plasmas for depositing a wide range of protective hardface coatings that have both wear and erosion application. The nonequilibrium plasma is the heart of this complex system and has the function of generating the reactive molecular fragments (radicals) and atomic species at concentration levels unattainable by other competing processes. It is now widely accepted that such advanced protective hardface coatings materials will play a vital role in the energy technologies of the coming decades, with major applications in diverse areas ranging from aerospace and commercial propulsion systems (jet engines) to automotive components and internal combustion engines, (ceramic heat engines), cutting and machining tools, electronic packaging, thermal management, and possibly room-temperature superconductors. Wear and associated erosion aspects are responsible for an enormous expenditure of energy and fiscal resources in almost all DOE applications. Many of the results from this investigation arc also applicable to other materials processing reactors such as electron beam, PVD, CVD, laser ablation, microwave, high energy cathodic arc, thermal plasma (rf or dc) and combustion spray. These also include the various hybrid systems such as the rf/dc arc as used in Japan for diamond deposition and e-beam PVD deposition of advanced titanium alloy coatings as used at the Paton Institute in Kiev, Ukraine.