DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY FOR INTERCONTINENTAL MISSILES (ICM) APPLICATIONS

MANY SUBSTRATES ARE NOT AMENABLE TO DIAMOND COATING BECAUSE THE CORRECT PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES REQUIRE OPERATION AT ELEVATED PRESSURES AND TEMPERATURES WHICH CAN BE DELETERIOUS TO THE SUBSTRATE. WE PROPOSE TO UTILIZE OUR UNIQUE PULSED FAST ATOM SOURCE TO DEVELOP DIAMOND COATINGS ON SUBSTRATES HELD AT LOW TEMPERATURES. OUR FAST BEAM CAN PROVIDE HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF C AND H ATOMS IN THE SAME RATIO AS UTILIZED IN PCVD PROCESSES BUT AT VERY HIGH VELOCITIES. UPON IMPACT THE HIGH VELOCITY, SHORT DURATION (?30 MICROMETER) BEAM WILL ACCOMODATE WITH THE SURFACE, HEATING A MOCROLAYER TO ELEVATE TEMPERATURES. THIS APPROACH AVOIDS THE REQUIREMENTS OF BULK SUBSTRTE HEATING. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS A LABORATORY DEMONSTRATION FOR THE POTENTIAL OF USING OUR FAST BEAM TECHNOLOGY FOR DIAMOND COATING OF LOW TEMPERATURE SUBSTRATES. THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL ALLOW THE UTILIZATION OF DIAMOND FILMS ON ADVANCED SUBSTRATES WHICH WOULD BE AFFECTED ADVERSELY BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED IN EXTANT DIAMOND COATING PROCESSES.