Abstract
The University of Nebraska is currently evaluating Low Earth Orbit (LEO) simulation techniques as well as a variety of thin film protective coatings to withstand atomic oxygen (AO) degradation. Both oxygen plasma ashers and an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) source are being used for LEO simulation. Thin film coatings are characterized by optical techniques including Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Optical spectrophotometry, and laser light scatterometry. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is also used to characterize surface morphology. Results on diamondlike carbon (DLC) films show that DLC degrades with simulated AO exposure at a rate comparable to Kapton polyimide. Since DLC is not as susceptible to environmental factors such as moisture absorption, it could potentially provide more accurate measurements of AO fluence on short space flights.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages | 119-123 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| State | Published - 1992 |
| Event | Materials Specialist Conference - Coating Technology for Aerospace Systems, 1992 - Dallas, United States Duration: Apr 16 1992 → Apr 17 1992 |
Other
| Other | Materials Specialist Conference - Coating Technology for Aerospace Systems, 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Dallas |
| Period | 4/16/92 → 4/17/92 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Engineering