Real Time Control of Engineered Coating Microstructure by Chemical Vapor Desposition (CVD)

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9400328 Gevelber The award is for research directed at improving the ability to fabricate engineered coatings through the development of a real- time control system for chemical vapor deposition. Such coatings are currently used to improve surface properties such as thermal shock resistance, corrosion, wear, and oxidation resistance. Real time measurement of the growth process is the basis for improved control of the coating morphology. The current practice of maintaining process input variables such as gas flow rates and temperatures at empirically determined setpoints does not ensure achievement of the desired morphology and requires extensive trial and error each time the equipment or the process is changed. The proposal research involves modeling the nucleation/growth kinetics, designing and implementing an appropriate control structure in-situ sensors, and experimental verification of the approach. The work is expected to result in expanded processing capabilities in chemical vapor deposition coating applications in the aerospace and machine tooling industries. The work is also likely to benefit a broader variety of advanced materials processing technologies by formulating a methodology for better closed loop control of such process.