CAREER: A Faculty Early Career Program in Development of Superhard Coatings for Improved Performances

用于下一代材料应用的超硬涂层系统必须表现出优异的物理性能，包括优异的热稳定性和化学稳定性、耐磨性、高硬度、韧性和良好的附着力。这一职业计划的目标是开发一种方法，通过这种方法，可以有效地设计特定于应用的涂层，使用为快速扩大规模和工业生产量身定做的综合方法。本研究的具体目标是了解脉冲激光辅助物理气相沉积(PVD)和灯丝辅助化学气相沉积(CVD)技术制备的多功能应用的先进工程超硬涂层材料的结构-性能关系。脉冲激光沉积(PLD)技术有望在低温条件下制备出附着力强、密度接近理论密度、硬度极高的新型涂层。用PLD方法制备了氮化碳(CNX)、立方氮化硼(c-BN)、类金刚石(DLC)超硬涂层和金属/陶瓷材料的微层状涂层。为了在较低的衬底温度下快速生长透明的金刚石薄膜，将探索非常高密度的CVD等离子体，使其具有理想的微结构，为制造应用提供更好的机械性能。机械性能的评估将包括纳米压痕、附着力和磨损测试。微观结构分析将包括对晶格结构的X射线衍射分析，以及对颗粒结构和晶格微结构信息的扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和原子力显微镜。将努力与行业合作伙伴共同开发潜在的商业产品。该项目的一个重要特点是在与合成、结构、性能和性能相关的材料科学研究的基础和技术重要领域对研究生和本科生进行培训。教学计划包括开发“薄膜技术”模块，说明材料加工的关键方面，并适当强调合成、衬底和薄膜材料的选择、沉积过程、微结构发展、机械性能、动力学和热力学，以及在工业领域的应用，用于跨学科领域的教学。该模块将包括多媒体教学资源和课堂演示。将特别努力吸引代表人数不足的群体的学生，并对他们进行多学科研究培训。

Superhard coating systems for next generation materials applications must exhibit a combination of physical properties which include excellent thermal and chemical stability, wear resistance, high hardness, toughness, and good adhesion. The goal of this CAREER program is to develop a means by which application specific coatings can be efficiently designed, using an integrated approach tailored towards rapid scale-up and industrial production. The specific objective of this study is to understand structure-property relationships in advanced engineering superhard coating materials prepared by pulsed laser assisted physical vapor deposition (PVD) and by filament assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques for multifunctional applications. The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process promises a new generation of exotic coatings which have superior adhesion, near theoretical densities, and very high hardness, and which, at the same time can be deposited at low temperature. Superhard coatings of carbon nitride (CNx), cubic boron nitride (c-BN), diamond-like carbon (DLC) and microlaminate coatings of metal/ceramic materials will be fabricated by the PLD method. Very-high density CVD plasma will be explored for rapid growth of transparent diamond films at low substrate temperature with desirable microstructure that provides better mechanical properties for manufacturing applications. Evaluation of mechanical properties will include nanoindentation, adhesion and wear tests. Microstructural analyses will include X-ray diffraction analysis for lattice structure, and SEM, TEM and AFM for grain structure and lattice microstructural information. Efforts will be made to work with the industrial partners in developing potential commercial products. An important feature of the project is the training of graduate and undergraduate students in a fundamentally and technologically significant area of Materials Science research related to synthesis, structure, properties and performance. The education plan involves the development of a module on 'Thin Film Technology' that illustrates key aspects of materials processing with appropriate emphasis on synthesis, selection of materials for substrate and film, deposition processes, microstructural development, mechanical properties, kinetics and thermodynamics, and applications in industrial sectors, for instruction in cross-disciplinary fields. The module will include multimedia teaching resources and in-class demonstration. Special attempts will be made to attract students from under represented groups and to train them in multidisciplinary research.