Laser chemical vapour deposition: materials, modelling, and process control

Laser chemical vapour deposition (LCVD) is a new manufacturing process that holds great potential for the production of small and complex metal and ceramic parts. Recent research significant to LCVD is reviewed, summarising the general state of knowledge in the field, and discussing important challenges that remain. The basics of the LCVD process and the various deposition techniques, including: photolytic versus pyrolytic deposition and fibre growth versus direct writing methods, are considered. A comprehensive table of materials deposited with LCVD is presented, sorted geometrically into fibres, dots, and lines. The application of heat transfer and chemical kinetic models to the LCVD process as a means for predicting deposit properties is described. The deposition process is considered with respect to efforts to increase deposition rates and to control deposit shapes. Modern process control techniques for measuring deposition temperature and growth rate are also discussed. Finally, a survey of mechanical, electrical, and optical applications is presented. (C) 2001 loM Communications Ltd and ASM International.