STTR PHASE I: Alpha phase crystalline aluminum oxide coated at temperatures below 500 C using PVD

小型企业技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目旨在利用PVD技术开发和商业化α氧化铝涂层，该技术基于倒置圆柱形磁控管，产生不平衡磁场。目前生产这些涂层的方法需要高温，并导致不良的应力，限制了它们的适用性。一个重要的例子是义肢，刚玉的高硬度和生物相容性使其成为关节中极好的耐磨表面。拟议的工作将更好地理解设备设计如何影响涂层过程的物理和化学，并将证明在生物医学/外科植入物的功能基板上沉积刚玉膜的可行性。陶瓷（如氧化铝）因其高耐磨性和热障性能而广泛应用于各种应用。低温沉积稳定结晶陶瓷材料涂层的工艺将极大地扩展这些材料可以改进的产品应用的数量。例如，使用陶瓷涂层可以显著提高发动机部件的使用寿命、可靠性和整体性能。降低沉积温度和控制应力将允许稳定的陶瓷涂层用于这些和其他重要的应用。

The Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project is aimed at developing and commercializing an alpha alumina coating by using a PVD technology based on an inverted cylindrical magnetron that creates an unbalanced magnetic field. Current methods for producing these coatings require high temperatures and result in undesirable stresses, limiting their applicability. An important example is prosthetics, where corundum's high hardness and biocompatibility would make it an excellent wear surface in joints. The proposed work will develop a better understanding of how equipment design affects the physics and chemistry of the coating process and will demonstrate the feasibility of depositing corundum films on functional substrates for biomedical/surgical implants. Ceramics such as aluminum oxide are used in a wide variety of applications for their high wear resistance and thermal barrier properties. A low temperature process for depositing coatings of stable crystalline ceramic materials would greatly extend the number of product applications that could be improved with these materials. For instance, the lifetime, reliability and overall performance of engine components could be significantly increased using ceramic coatings. Reduction of deposition temperature and control of stresses would allow stable ceramic coatings for these and other important applications.