S. Graiser¹, S. J. Shin², L. B. Bayu Aji², X.Lepro-Chavez², G. V. Taylor², S. O. Kucheyev^2
1Binghamton University SUNY, Binghamton, NY
²Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA
Boron carbide possesses many key properties that make it particularly well suited as a next generation ablator platform for inertial confinement fusion research. The deposition of high density, low residual stress amorphous boron carbide coatings has been demonstrated with conventional magnetron sputter deposition using radio-frequency and direct-current driven plasmas. However, fine control of growth modes including nodular growth defects, and columnar growth at oblique angles remains a challenge. Here, we investigate the deposition of amorphous boron carbide films using high power impulse magnetron sputtering using a full faced erosion magnetron source. We report on the effect of working pressure and substrate bias on major film properties including residual stress, mechanical properties, density, and morphology.