Experimental Study of Nanostructured Silicon Carbide Film Formation by Hypersonic Plasma Particle Deposition

Experiments were conducted to study the effect of process parameters on the formation of nanostructured silicon carbide films by hypersonic plasma particle deposition (HPPD). In HPPD, vapor phase precursors are injected into a thermal plasma generated by a DC arc torch. The plasma is then quenched by supersonic expansion in a ceramic lined nozzle, resulting in the nucleation and growth of ultrafine particles. The particles are further accelerated in the hypersonic free jet downstream of the nozzle, and deposited by inertial impaction onto a temperature controlled substrate, leading to the formation of a lightly consolidated nanostructured film. The short residence time of the particles prior to collection and the in-situ consolidation provided by high speed deposition minimizes oxidation and agglomeration.