Description:

• Sputter-deposition facility.
• Uses two ion sources mounted in end doors of vacuum chamber (ion energies to 1500 electron volts).
• Used for ion-beam sputter deposition of thin-film coatings, multilayered structures, and ion-beam sputter etching and texturing.
  
• Reactive ion-beam deposition achieved through addition of reactive gas from plasma source during deposition.
• Deposition of very adherent films of metals and metal oxides.

Features:

• Uses 2.5- and 15-cm ion sources.
• Vacuum pumping system uses a vapor diffusion pump (10^-6- and 10^-4- torr base pressure during ion source operation.)
• Ion energy controllable from 100 to 1500 electron volts.
• Ion source operation on air, argon, and xenon source gases.
• Ion-beam cleaning performed prior to sputter deposition for better film adherence.
• Four target mounts rotated into sputtering position without breaking vacuum.

Research Projects:

• Research and development of thin-film protective coatings for solar array blankets and conductive thin films for arc-proof solar arrays.
• International Space Station and EURECA satellite support.
• Thin-Film protective coating of silicon dioxide/polytetrafluoroethylene applied to retroreflectors used for laser-tracking Eureca satellite.

Potential Uses:

• Producing test coupons of thin-film protective coatings or gas-barrier films for food packing and spacecraft protection.
• Ion sources used for sputter-texturing materials for improved bonding for both industrial and medical applications.
• Ion sources used to alter solar absorptance or thermal emittance.
  

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Curator:  Sandra.A.Zolo@nasa.gov and NASA Official Responsible For Content:  Sharon.K.Miller@grc.nasa.gov 
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Last Updated: 09/22/2008