Materials technology for MEMS that can withstand the high temperature environments is one of the current focus points of ongoing research. Engineering of the bulk material making up the micro-components as well as engineering of surfaces are under study. The overall theme of the high-temperature coating materials effort is aimed at improving current EBPVD technology to achieve better microstructural control of the entire thermal barrier coating (TBC) structure. Advanced plasma technology is the main tool to this end. The microstructure and properties (film porosity, texture, and residual stress) of vapor deposited ceramic thin films are manipulated by low energy ion bombardment during growth. On this basis, various ceramic and ceramic composite thin-film coatings have been deposited at LSU using Inductively-Coupled-Plasma (ICP) assisted hybrid Chemical-Vapor-Deposition/Physical-Vapor-Deposition (CVD/PVD). The high-density ICP technology will be coupled with EBPVD technology. The addition of low-energy ion bombardment is expected to offer increased control of TBC coating microstructures not achievable with EBPVD alone.

For more information, please visit the CAMD website: http://www.camd.lsu.edu.