摘要 |
A method and apparatus for coating high temperature resistant, electrically-conductive, ceramic compounds, such as titanium carbides and diborides, onto an organic substrate, which may be an organic resin matrix composite. The apparatus basically comprises a vacuum arc plasma generator, a high-voltage insulated substrate holding table and a plasma channel. The plasma generator includes a vacuum chamber having a cylindrical cathode of the material to be deposited, surrounded by a ceramic insulator which is in turn surrounded by a metal trigger ring in contact with a trigger electrode. When a vacuum arc discharge is initiated, a plasma flows outwardly from the cathode through a hole in an adjacent anode and into a drift tube. The drift tube has a plurality of magnets around the tube exterior to push the plasma away from the tube, maintain a uniform plasma density and guide the plasma towards a substrate on a movable high voltage insulated substrate support. The cathode material is nearly 100% ionized, giving the ions impinging on the organic substrate sufficient kinetic energy to react with and adhere tightly to the target substrate without additional heating. The amount of kinetic energy is controllable to provide the selected degree of substrate surface ion mixing with the coating elements.
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