Characterization of ZrO2 and SiC ceramic thin films prepared by electrostatic atomization.

ZrO₂ and SiC ceramic thin films and their bilayer have been successfully prepared by a newly developed electrostatic atomization technique. This technique can generate fine spray of ceramic suspensions in a micrometer sized range with a narrow size distribution which is crucial for preparation of uniform thin films of these ceramic materials. Compared to some other thin film deposition techniques, such as Chemical vapour deposition (CVD), physical vapour deposition (PVD) and plasma spray (PS) etc. the thin film deposition process using electrostatic atomization is not only cheap but also controllable. The prepared ZrO₂ and SiC thin films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion analysis (EDA) techniques. These thin films were observed to be homogenous with a particle size less than 10 μm. The ZrO₂-SiC bilayer was found to have an abrupt interface, implying that the deposition process is controllable and also that functionally graded ceramic/ceramic materials can be prepared in this way if the thickness of each layer is accurately controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]