STTR Phase I: A New Process for Boride Coatings for Manufacturing Applications

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is directed toward development and commercialization of a new low temperature metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technology for boride coatings. Diborides of transition metals are very attractive for their high hardness and good chemical stability, and have potentials for many applications in the manufacturing sector in United States as wear and corrosion resistant coatings. Current technologies of physical and chemical vapor deposition do not provide a viable method of good adherent boride coating at low substrate temperature. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and UES, Inc. will work together to develop single-source precursors for transition metal boride coatings for deposition at low substrate temperatures. The proposed method is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, thus enabling applications in many different industries that include cutting tools, die casting dies and inserts, transfer rolls for flat glass, component for chemical processes, armament industries such as gun tubes, automotive and aerospace.