Next-Generation Coating Applications by Aerosol Deposition

The Aerosol Deposition is a new coating method based on the mechanisms of Room Temperature Impact Consolidation. A special feature and clear advantage of this new technology is that the coating of all material types is done entirely at room temperature in a low vacuum at high deposition rates (several µm/min). While this coating technology is well established in semiconductor equipment fabrication, e.g., yttria based coatings in plasma-etch chambers, few applications are disclosed beyond this industry. In the last two years Heraeus continuously developed the aerosol deposition to optimize processes and machines for production on industrial scale and subsequently broadened the application range of the Aerosol Deposition Method. In this contribution we demonstrate new fields of application for this technology. The first case study features next generation coatings of SiC, Si3N4 and YAG fabricated completely at room temperature. This study also shows the potential of simultaneously depositing two different coating materials to form a multi-component film. The second case study deals with protective coatings for high temperature nickel alloys that are commonly used in kilns, e.g., for battery material synthesis. By using aerosol deposited alumina coatings the service life of system parts can be extended while reducing flaking significantly.