Thermal plasma deposition from thick to thin coatings and from micro- to nanostructure

This paper is devoted to the presentation of our actual knowledge in plasma spraying. It presents successively: the parameters controlling the impact of the molten particles onto the substrate and resulting splat formation followed by splats layering and coating formation; the engineering of nano- or finely structured coatings with different possible routes; and the actual possibilities for the on-line control of the spray process.

Expanding Thermal Plasma Deposition of Silicon Dioxide-Like Films for Microelectronic Devices

In this paper we report on the use of the expanding thermal plasma (ETP) technique for the deposition of carbon-free SiO2 films by means of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO)/oxygen mixtures, at a growth rate of 8-10 nm/s. Information concerning the film chemical properties and refractive index/growth rate have been obtained by means of FTIR measurements and in situ single wavelength ellipsometry, respectively. Because of its geometry, the ETP configuration has proven its suitability for studies concerning the fragmentation paths of the HMDSO molecule and the reactions occurring in the plasma phase. In this framework, very recent results obtained by coupling the SiO2 film-deposition set up with a very sensitive, high spectral resolution- absorption technique, Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy, are presented.