Hybrid PVD/CVD Processes

Centrum Partners:

• Andrej Furlan and G. K. Gueorguiev (Linköping)
• Karin Larsson (Uppsala)

External Partners

• Prof. B. Holloway and Prof. G. Hoatson, College of William & Mary; (solid-state NMR of CNx films)
• Dr. S. V. Hainsworth, Univ. Leicester (mechanical properties of CNx coatings)
• Dr. E. Broitman, Carnegie Mellon Univ. (CNx coatings)
• Dr Jörg Neidhardt, Leoben University, Austria

Scientific Objectives

• To develop new combined PVD and CVD techniques for the controlled growth of Fullerene-Like materials such as CNx, CPx and BCN.

Technology Transfer Objectives

• To expand the collaboration with SKF on further development for industrialization of CNx and related coatings

Research plan:

Starting from a conventional sputtering process of a graphite C target we will add other p-elements such as N, P, B, or S either as gaseous reactants or as atoms from a target. For these combined PVD/CVD processes we will investigate the chemical and physical processes in the plasma and on the film/substrate interface, emphasizing a controlled and optimized thin film synthesis route for Fullerene-Like solids of CNx, CPx and BCN. To understand the reaction processes leading to solid phases of these materials as well as and to find conclusive evidence for the respective bonding, we will apply in situ mass-energy analysis and optical glow discharge spectroscopy to study precursors such as CN and C2N2 that are generated by interaction of the target material with the sputtering gas. The microstructure of the as-deposited films will be investigated on an atomic level using HREM/ EELS and solid-state NMR techniques. For the less explored CPx and BCN systems we will initiate first deposition studies following the theoretical studies that we performed. From these studies we see CPx materials favoring 4-membered rings and a exhibiting a higher degree of curvature compared to Fullerene-Like CNx. Thus, we expect other/modified properties to emerge for these hypothetical materials still remaining to be synthesized. To further accelerate the process development for these materials we will use the previous knowledge gained form synthesis of CNx compounds.