ELECTRON BEAM VAPOR DEPOSITION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF COATING

• US 20100242841A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Neal, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/708
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/046 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/30 by electron bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3132 Evaporating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3053 for evaporating or etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3178 for applying thin layers on objects

Abstract

An electron beam vapor deposition apparatus includes a coating chamber including a coating zone for depositing a coating on a work piece. A coating device includes at least one crucible for presenting at least one source coating material. The coating device includes a first deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material and a second deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material. At least one electron beam source evaporates the at least one source coating material for deposit onto the work piece. A controller is configured to control a speed of movement of the work piece in the coating zone during the coating operation in response to the first deposition mode and the second deposition mode.

Claims

1. An electron beam vapor deposition apparatus comprising:

a coating chamber for depositing a coating on a work piece;

a coating device including at least one crucible for presenting at least one source coating material, the coating device having a first deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material and a second deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material;

at least one electron beam source for evaporating the at least one source coating material; and

a controller configured to control a speed of movement of the work piece in the coating zone during a coating operation in response to the first deposition mode and the second deposition mode.

2. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a transport configured to hold and move the work piece in the coating zone according to commands of the controller.

3. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first deposition mode is a physical vapor deposition mode and the second deposition mode is a directed vapor deposition mode.

4. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one gas source for delivering a carrier gas to carry evaporated source coating material, wherein the first deposition mode utilizes a first gas flow rate from the at least one gas source and the second deposition mode utilizes a second gas flow rate from the at least one gas source that is greater than the first gas flow rate.

5. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move a transport holding the work piece at a first speed in response to the first deposition mode and at a second, different speed in response to the second deposition mode.

6. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one crucible includes a physical vapor deposition crucible and a directed vapor deposition crucible having a jet nozzle.

7. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one gas source connected with the coating device.

8. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one crucible includes a funnel-less physical vapor deposition crucible and a directed vapor deposition nozzle having a funnel for jetting a gas stream therefrom.

9. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first deposition mode corresponds to a line-of-sight deposition process and the second deposition mode corresponds to a non-line-of-sight deposition process.

10. An electron beam vapor deposition apparatus comprising:

a coating chamber for depositing a coating on a work piece;

a coating device including at least one crucible for presenting at least one source coating material, the coating device having a physical vapor deposition (PVD) mode of depositing the at least one source coating material and a directed vapor deposition (DVD) mode of depositing the at least one source coating material;

at least one electron beam source for evaporating the at least one source coating material;

a transport configured to hold and move a work piece in the coating zone; and

a controller configured to control a speed of movement of the work piece in the coating zone during a coating operation such that the work piece moves at a first speed in response to the PVD mode and a second, different speed in response to the DVD mode.

11. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one gas source, wherein the PVD mode utilizes a first gas flow rate from the at least one gas source and the DVD mode utilizes a second gas flow rate from the at least one gas source that is greater than the first gas flow rate.

12. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one crucible includes a physical vapor deposition crucible and a directed vapor deposition crucible having a jet nozzle.

13. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one gas source connected with the coating device.

14. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the coating device includes a funnel-less physical vapor deposition crucible and a directed vapor deposition nozzle having a funnel for jetting a gas stream therefrom.

15. The electron beam vapor deposition apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the first deposition mode corresponds to a line-of-sight deposition process and the second deposition mode corresponds to a non-line-of-sight deposition process.

16. A method of coating a work piece using an electron beam vapor deposition apparatus that includes a coating chamber for depositing a coating on the work piece, a coating device having at least one crucible for presenting at least one source coating material, the coating device having a first deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material and a second deposition mode of depositing the at least one source coating material, at least one electron beam source for evaporating the at least one source coating material, and a transport configured to hold and move the work piece in the coating zone, the method comprising:

controlling a speed of movement of the work piece in the coating zone during a coating operation in response to the first deposition mode and the second deposition mode.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein controlling the speed of movement of the work piece includes moving the work piece at a first speed in response to the first deposition mode and moving the work piece at a second, different speed in response to the second deposition mode, where the first deposition mode corresponds to a physical vapor deposition process and the second deposition mode corresponds to a directed vapor deposition process.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, including switching the coating operation between the first deposition mode and the second deposition mode and changing the speed of movement of the work piece depending upon which of the first deposition mode or the second deposition mode the coating operation is in.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, further including establishing a first gas flow rate that corresponds to the first deposition mode and a second, different gas flow that corresponds to the second deposition mode.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first deposition mode corresponds to a line-of-sight deposition process and the second deposition mode corresponds to a non-line-of-sight deposition process.