United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Jeffrey S Zabinski

Andrey A Voevodin

John G Jones

Michael S Donley

Steven R LeClair

Samuel J Laube

Volodymyr Evgenievich Strelnytskiy

Volodymyr V Vasylyev

Somuri V Prasad

Ivan I Aksenov

A method and class of bond coat is provided that physically and chemically bonds solid layer lubricants and other functional coatings to a substrate by burnishing, for example, selected soft materials, including oxides such as antimony trioxide, against the substrate. The new method and bond coat is a major improvement over conventional bonding or coating methods. The process is non-vacuum at ambient temperatures, requiring no binders, adhesives, curing or baking. Lubricant performance can be enhanced by orders of magnitude compared to when the bond coat and burnishing process are not applied. The method is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, applicable to any substrate material, and scalable.

Layers durably bonded to surfaces

A filtered cathodic-arc plasma source of lower plasma losses and higher output plasma current to input current efficiency is disclosed. Plasma filtering is accomplished in a right angle bend magnetic filter arranged to include the effects of at least three added magnetic coils located at the right angle bend of the filter path. These magnetic coils and other filter attributes, including an array of transverse fins and a magnetic cusp trap in the filter path, achieve desirable magnetic flux paths, lower plasma collision losses and reduced undesired particle output from the plasma filter. Multiple cathode sources, multiple plasma output ports, Larmour radius influence, equipotential magnetic flux lines and electron/ion interaction considerations are also included in the plasma source. Application of the plasma source to film coating processes is included.

Filtered cathodic-arc plasma source

Formation of for example yttria stabilized zirconia films of significant 001 orientation on a variety of substrates including amorphous material and room temperature limited material is disclosed. The yttria stabilized zirconia film formation is achieved using pulsed laser ablation of a polycrystalline yttria stabilized zirconia target source while the substrate is electrically biased, disposed at a selected angle and maintained at substantially room temperature in the presence of an argon atmosphere. The film formation uses low bias voltage, requires no ion beam apparatus and employs low temperatures sufficient only to enable process stabilization. Film formation is accomplished in a step sequence wherein each step responds to temporal and spatial component segregations occurring in a laser-ablated ion plume.

Laser ablation, low temperature-fabricated yttria-stabilized zirconia oriented films

System and method for high vacuum sputtering combining magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser plasma deposition are described wherein simultaneous or sequential magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition operations in a single ultra-high vacuum system provides high deposition rates with precise control of film morphology, stoichiometry, microstructure, composition gradient, and uniformity, in the deposition of high performance coatings of various metal, ceramic and diamond-like carbon materials.

Magnetron sputter-pulsed laser deposition system and method

Nanocrystalline carbide/diamond-like carbon composite films and synthesis method near room temperature are described wherein combined magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser ablation produce plasma fluxes intersecting on a substrate surface to form metal carbide and diamond-like carbon composite films of about 10 to 50 nm carbide crystallites encapsulated in a sp.sup.3 bonded amorphous diamond-like carbon matrix having a hardness of about 32 GPa and high plasticity, high toughness in contact loading and low friction coefficient.

Load-adaptive nanocrystalline carbon/amorphous diamond-like carbon

Process control for generating graded multilayer films repetitively and consistently using both pulsed laser sputtering and magnetron sputtering deposition techniques. The invention includes an apparatus which allows for set up of an ultrahigh vacuum in a vacuum chamber automatically, and then execution of a computer algorithm or 'recipe' to generate desired films. Software operates and controls the apparatus and executes commands which control digital and analog signals which control instruments.

Gradient multilayer film generation process control

Provided are methods for fabricating solid lubricant coatings capable of operating over a temperature range of at least 0.degree. to 600.degree. C. One embodiment comprises simultaneously applying a first solid lubricant and a second solid lubricant to a bearing surface, wherein the first solid lubricant has a normal operating temperature range of about -169.degree. to +350.degree. C. and the second solid lubricant has a normal operating temperature range of about 350.degree. to 700.degree. C. A second embodiment comprises applying multiple alternating layers of a first solid lubricant and a second solid lubricant to a bearing surface. A third embodiment comprises applying multiple alternating layers of (1) a first solid lubricant overlaid with a diffusion barrier and (2) a second solid lubricant overlaid with a diffusion barrier to a bearing surface. A fourth embodiment comprises applying at least one matrix layer consisting essentially of a first solid lubricant and a second solid lubricant dispersed in a diffusion barrier matrix to a bearing surface. The first and second solid lubricants in these embodiments are as described above. The diffusion barrier is a metal carbide, metal nitride or the like. The lubricant films prepared according to the invention are able to adapt to environmental changes such as temperature, atmosphere, pressure, radiation levels and the like. The adaptive nature of these lubricant films occurs through changes in crystal structure and reaction between the first and second solid lubricants, both with each other and with the atmosphere.

Growing community of inventors

Yellow Springs, OH, United States of America

Jeffrey S Zabinski