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Article

Influence of Plasma Assistance on EB-PVD TBC Coating Thickness Distribution and Morphology

1
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, Rzeszów University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
2
Doctoral School, Rzeszów University of Technology, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2025, 18(17), 4109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174109 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 25 July 2025 / Revised: 20 August 2025 / Accepted: 27 August 2025 / Published: 1 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Thin Film Deposition Technologies)

Abstract

In this study, the effects of plasma assistance on the electron beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD) process were investigated using an industrial coater (Smart Coater ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH) equipped with a dual hollow cathode system. This configuration enabled the generation of a plasma environment during the deposition of the ceramic top coat onto a metallic substrate. The objective was to assess how plasma assistance influences the microstructure and thickness distribution of 7% wt. yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Coatings were deposited with and without plasma assistance to enable a direct comparison. The thickness uniformity and columnar morphology of the 7YSZ top coats were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanical properties of the deposited coatings were verified by the scratch test method. The results demonstrate that, in the presence of plasma, columnar grains become more uniformly spaced and exhibit sharper, well-defined boundaries even at reduced substrate temperatures. XRD analysis confirmed that plasma-assisted EB-PVD processes allow for maintaining the desired tetragonal phase of YSZ without inducing secondary phases or unwanted texture changes. These findings indicate that plasma-assisted EB-PVD can achieve desirable coating characteristics (uniform thickness and optimised columnar structure) more efficiently, offering potential advantages for high-temperature applications in aerospace and power-generation industries. Continued development of the EB-PVD process with the assistance of plasma generation could further improve deposition rates and TBC performance, underscoring the promising future of HC-assisted EB-PVD technology.
Keywords: thermal barrier coatings; TBCs; electron beam-physical vapour deposition; EB-PVD; plasma assistance; hollow cathode thermal barrier coatings; TBCs; electron beam-physical vapour deposition; EB-PVD; plasma assistance; hollow cathode

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MDPI and ACS Style

Maciaszek, G.; Cioch, K.; Nowotnik, A.; Nabel, D. Influence of Plasma Assistance on EB-PVD TBC Coating Thickness Distribution and Morphology. Materials 2025, 18, 4109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174109

AMA Style

Maciaszek G, Cioch K, Nowotnik A, Nabel D. Influence of Plasma Assistance on EB-PVD TBC Coating Thickness Distribution and Morphology. Materials. 2025; 18(17):4109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174109

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maciaszek, Grzegorz, Krzysztof Cioch, Andrzej Nowotnik, and Damian Nabel. 2025. "Influence of Plasma Assistance on EB-PVD TBC Coating Thickness Distribution and Morphology" Materials 18, no. 17: 4109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174109

APA Style

Maciaszek, G., Cioch, K., Nowotnik, A., & Nabel, D. (2025). Influence of Plasma Assistance on EB-PVD TBC Coating Thickness Distribution and Morphology. Materials, 18(17), 4109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174109

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