Electron beam-physical vapor deposition EB-PVD

Electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) is accomplished by directing a narrow beam of high-powered ( 20 kV, 500 mA) electrons at the source material. The energy released by these electrons when they are absorbed by the source material causes local melting in the source material. The entire source material is not melted, only the portion irradiated by the electron beam. This production of a small pocket of melted source material contained within solid source material is sometimes referred to as skulling. Hence, the vapor produced does not suffer contamination from the vessel containing the source material. Singh and Wolfe (2005) reviewed the use of electron beam—physical vapor deposition for the fabrication of nano- and macro-structured components. 

Singh J, Wolfe D. Review nano and macro-structured component fabrication by electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). J Mater Sci 2005 40 1-26. 

Electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) of rhenium on graphite has been demonstrated at The Pennsylvania State University. With EB-PVD technology, two or more materials ean be co-evaporated or deposited in layers to form functionally tailored coatings with improved properties and performance. Because rhenium is compatible not only with carbon but with platinum, palladium, ihodium, ruthenium, osmium, and iridium, it follows that EB-PVD technology can produce coatings with improved rhenium properties. For instance, deposition by electron-beam co-evaporation of rhenium with iridium will most likely provide high-temperature oxidation resistance. (Note that, presently, high-temperature, 2500 K, oxidation resistance is commercially achieved by vapor deposition of 50- to 250-pm-thick iridium films on rhenium.2... 

At an industrial applications, the TBC coverings can be produced by thermal spraying method in the air plasma spray (APS) atmosphere, at lowered pressure low pressure plasma spray (EPPS) from APS or by the electron beam physical vapor deposition method (EB-PVD), these are all dry-route processes. By these processes, coatings have different microstructures lamellar microstructure consisting... 

---