This SBIR Phase I project will investigate the fundamental physics and chemistry of the innovative combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) process for thin film deposition. CCVD is an innovative, patented, atmospheric pressure, thermal plasma process that has been successfully utilized to deposit exceedingly high quality thin film materials at high rate and low cost. Accordingly, it has enormous commercial potential. The CCVD process, generally, starts with a hydrocarbon solution containing a dissolved metal complex that is pumped under pressure into a torch like nozzle. The solution is submicron atomized via a proprietary nebulizer and injected into the plasma generated by the torch causing deposition of a thin film of the desired material onto a substrate. Epitaxial films can be deposited onto single crystal and oriented substrates. The high quality of the as deposited films is due to the ability of the CCVD process to atomize and combust the precursor solutions cleanly and efficiently. In order to improve our understanding and control of the process, the fundamental dynamics of the thermal plasma, including dissociation chemistry and chemical transport will be studied by a number of physical and spectroscopic techniques including atomic emission spectroscopy and optical pyrometry. These fundamental data will be correlated with process performance for representative thin film manufacturing applications, specifically with respect to CCVD deposition rate, film quality and process economics. Deposition of high quality thin film materials for use in electronics, corrosion protection, optical coatings, nanopowders, superconductors, fuel cells as well as other applications yielding a potential multibillion dollar total market. Increased liquid combustion efficiencies relative to current technology.
