Improved Interface Coating Facility for Ceramic Composites

Synterials has conducted a Phase I SBIR program that demonstrated the feasibility of using optical properties of refracted light to measure the thickness of interface coating films. A Filmetrics thin-film measuring system has been used to measure thethickness of boron nitride /silicon nitride duplex coatings on silicon wafers. The data were compared to thickness measurements done on similar films by SEM and Auger spectroscopy analysis done at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Phase II proposed workis aimed at creating standards that can be used to identify the chemical and physical properties of boron nitride and silicon nitride layers by making measurements with the Filmetrics unit . In addition, Phase II will implement a computer control systemon the bolt-to-bolt interface coating reactor that was developed by Synterials prior to the Phase I program. The control system was designed under the Phase I program. A third focus for the Phase II program is to establish the influence ofoff-standard interface coatings on the properties of composites. The program team includes COI Ceramics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.