A Low-Cost Method for Coating of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Manufacturing of Complex High-Precision Components for Spaceflight Applications Using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

This proposal is intended to perform basic research using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) as a means of coating various substrate materials with a variety of metallic and ceramic oxides for corrosion and thermal protection. In particular, due to growing interest in significant cost-reduction using the technology of Selective Laser Melting (SLM), this proposal will attempt to develop a state-of-the-art and low-cost method of polishing and coating a sub-scale thruster nozzle modeled after the ALCOT Thruster and built using SLM. SLM has shown the potential to reduce production costs by 70% or more. By combining SLM with the process of electro-polishing and application of uniform thin-film coatings using ALD, we believe that we can develop a complete manufacturing process by-which high-precision, complex and here-to-fore costly components can be produced at a fraction of their current cost. We intend to demonstrate a method of coating stainless steel, Tungsten and ultimately a Tungsten/Titanium Carbide (W/TiC) matrix created via SLM with Iridium Oxide (IrO2 or IrO3) in Phase I and Yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ: Y2O3-ZrO2) and Yittria (Y2O3) in Phase II. This proposal will be a demonstration of smoothing and coating several different substrate materials with a variety of oxides in Phase I which appear to offer significant benefits to the low-cost manufacture of material components of great interest to NASA.

The development of the combination of AM/SLM and ALD technology for larger components and materials required in the aerospace industry is revolutionary. The highly complex combustion devices and propulsion components necessary to support the US launch industry need technology advancement to reduce the cost of fabrication and assembly of these components. With the effective development and implementation of AM incorporated into the build process along with complimentary ALD technology for uniform thin-film material coatings, we can help provide more assurance that cost reduction is realized and maintained. Summit is collaborating with ASTS with ways to cost effectively provide post-SLM finishing and coatings additive manufactured parts using ALD. We believe that Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) will offer a superior technology needed for a low-cost, state-of-the-art method applicable to the manufacture of complex, high-precision components (particularly built using 3-D printing technology) built for spaceflight and other scientific purposes for NASA. In particular, we believe that ALD technology is sufficiently mature to provide a method that is well-tested and used increasingly in the electronics/semiconductor industry and is beginning to be utilized in other areas as well.

Future military and commercial applications of ALD nano-laminates as applied to metals, glass, plastics, carbon fiber and other materials are numerous and perhaps unlimited. Our imaginations are hard-pressed to think of where SLM and future material film applications and designs may take us. As the complexity of manufactured parts and machines increases due to the capability of SLM to build external and internal detailed components (beyond the capabilities of current machining techniques), and the availability of SLM technology proliferates, so will the need for smoothing and coating of these components increase. The research for additional precursor chemistry to create additional coating alternatives tailored to required environments and functionality is progressing rapidly. At the same time the capability of sophisticated ALD machines capable of supporting high-rates of assembly-line manufacturing is also progressing at a rapid pace. In the future, big box stores may not need to store inventories of parts, machines or wares. Instead, they will store the digital description of their wares and produce them on demand under contract to the IP holder. As part of our efforts to develop a commercialized market for ALD, we have entered into discussion with several ALD manufacturers to form a business partnership and locate a research ALD reactor at SIS in Huntsville.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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