NSF Award
0706147
NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: A pair of researchers at the University of Puerto Rico will develop a new technique to enable the fabrication of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films over large areas. Due to its extraordinary resistance to wear and oxidation, cBN is targeted to be employed as a protective layer in engines, turbines, and other devices exposed to harsh conditions. The use of cBN protective coatings is expected to improve the lifetime and reliability of automobiles, ships, and aircraft. This project will contribute to the specialized training of graduate students in cutting-edge research fields and to advancing the programmatic efforts of the nation in the area of materials science and manufacturing. This work is co-supported by the Ceramics Program in the Division of Materials Research and the Materials Processing and Manufacturing Program in the Engineering Directorate.<br/><br/>TECHNICAL DETAILS: Together a laser plasma physicist and a chemical physicist will take an integrative experimental and theoretical approach to develop a new technique for the fabrication of cBN protective coatings over large areas. They will employ a super-short-pulse laser produced plasma (SSP LPP) deposition technique combined with a novel line-focusing technique to meet this objective. The main advantages of SSP-LPP technique are to avoid thermal film ablation and reduce film stress. These features combined with their novel line-focusing technique are expected to lead to the synthesis of large-area, thick, strongly-adhered cBN films on a variety of substrates of technological importance. The fundamental science emphasis of this project is on the quantification, control, and mechanistic understanding of the plasma deposition parameters that determine the nanostructure of the cBN films. This project contributes to achieving a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis process for thick cBN films, as well as of their thermomechanical, electrical and optical properties, thus becoming technology-enabling in the area of advanced materials targeted at enhancing the long-term performance and reliability of devices submitted to harsh conditions, such as turbines and motors. Graduate students from underrepresented groups who participate in this project will obtain first-hand experience in nanotechnology issues, tools and trends, and learn the physics and chemistry of advanced ceramics, thus broadening their participation in science and technology.
