The primary experimental physical vapor deposition (PVD) facility utilized by IPML researchers is the Directed Vapor Deposition (DVD) system developed in 1992-94 and patented in 1996. Although this PVD system utilizes an electron-beam (e-beam) gun to vaporize materials, Directed Vapor Deposition technology represents a departure from conventional e-beam evaporation. Instead of creating atomistic vapor in high vacuum (10^-8 - 10^-4 Torr) the DVD method uses an e-beam (10 kW/60 kV) in a low vacuum environment (~10^-3 - 10 Torr) where it is possible to entrain the evaporant in a carrier gas jet for focussed, efficient deposition (See the second picture below.). More information about the technology can be found in the patent listed above and in various publications in the literature.

The system was originally envisioned as a vapor processing tool which would allow continuous fiber reinforcement for metal matrix composites to be coated rapidly, cleanly, and efficiently with various pure elements, compounds, or alloys. After coating individual fibers with material in the DVD system, the individual fibers (~100 mm in diameter) could then be consolidated into a load bearing material using equipment such as a hot isostatic press (HIP). Completed research suggests that DVD technology possesses certain advantag es over traditional techniques when used to coat fibers.

A significant portion of the original DVD experimental and modeling research was dedicated to developing an understanding of the fundamental material processing characteristics of this unique experimental research facility. Although this basic study continues, DVD researchers are now harnessing understanding of the technology to construct a second generation system and to synthesize thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), a material system application where DVD technology appears to hold particular promise. Construction of a second generation DVD system has been funded in 1998 by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the federal government's Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). The design of the second system is currently being finalized, and the system should be operational at the University of Virginia before the end of 1998. This second generation system will allow more sophisticated processing to be conducted than is possible in the original system. It will be used to provide experimental data against which to verify modeling results generated at IPML, and it will act as a second platform upon which to perform application-based experimental research.