SBIR Phase II: The Study of Superior Quality Thin Films Derived from Liquid Combustion in a Thermal Plasma

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在清洁和高效燃烧液体燃料，在许多技术中都很重要，包括内燃机、燃气轮机、废物焚烧以及最近的先进材料加工。燃料热燃烧的效率控制着过程的效率和排放。液体燃料燃烧的两个控制因素是点燃前液体的雾化和汽化。两种先进的薄膜涂层沉积技术利用含有溶解金属配合物的液体燃料的燃烧将所需材料的薄膜沉积到基材上。第一种是火焰喷雾热解，这是一种快速沉积工艺，可产生厚膜，但由于雾化效率低，膜的质量通常较差。这导致了低密度和低纯度的粗糙薄膜。相比之下，燃烧化学气相沉积（CCVD）利用有效的雾化和汽化过程，使其成为真正的气相沉积方法。CCVD工艺采用了一种专利的液体燃料雾化方法，商标为Nanomiser。本文研究了用CCVD法沉积高质量钛酸锶钡薄膜的火焰物理化学性质。BSTO是一种高性能铁电材料。第二阶段项目将以第一阶段的成果为基础，扩大CCVD过程的分析和建模水平，开发一个全面的预测模型，从而改进CCVD过程。在第二阶段开发的数据和模型对于一般的喷雾燃烧过程将具有极其重要的意义。MCT的目标是开发高质量的薄膜材料，用于电子、防腐、光学涂层、纳米粉末、超导体、燃料电池以及其他产生数十亿美元潜在市场的应用。该研究结果将用于提高燃烧效率，满足薄膜铁电材料性能的关键要求。这将通过研发服务、先进的许可协议和试点生产服务的结合，实现CCVD工艺应用的商业化。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project for clean and efficient combustion of liquid fuels is of importance in many technologies including internal combustion engines, gas turbines, waste-incineration and, more recently, advanced materials processing. The efficiency of the thermal combustion of a fuel controls the efficiency and emissions of a process. Two governing factors in the combustion of a liquid fuel are atomization and vaporization of the liquid prior to its ignition. Two advanced thin film coating deposition techniques utilize the combustion of a liquid fuel containing a dissolved metal complex to deposit films of desired materials on to substrates. The first, flame spray pyrolysis, is a rapid deposition process yieldingthick films, however, the films are generally of poor quality due to inefficient atomization. This leads to rough films of low density and purity. In contrast, combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) utilizes an efficient atomization and vaporization process that makes it a true vapor deposition method. The CCVD process incorporates a patented atomization method for liquid fuels, trademarked as the Nanomiser. The Phase Ieffort studied the flame physics and chemistry of the deposition of high quality barium strontium titanate (BSTO) thin films by CCVD. BSTO is a high performance ferroelectric. This Phase II project will build upon the results of Phase I by expanding the levels of analysis and modeling of the CCVD process to develop a thorough, predictive model and thereby improve the CCVD process. The data and models developed in Phase II will be of extreme importance to spray combustion processes in general.MCT is targeting development of high quality thin film materials for use in electronics, corrosion protection, optical coatings, nanopowders, superconductors, fuel cells as well as other applications yielding a potential multibillion dollar market. Results from this research will be used to increase combustion efficiency and satisfy key requirements for performance of thin film ferroelectrics. This will enable commercialization of the CCVD process applications through a combination of R&D services, advanced license agreements and pilot production services.