Computer simulation of nano-pore formation in EB-PVD thermal barrier coatings

Two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations have been conducted to investigate the mechanism of nano-pore formation during film deposition. The macroscopic structure obtained from the simulation is in good agreement with experiments. It is found that random accumulation of vapor phase particles creates pores that are inclined away from the incident direction at angles dependent on the ratio of the parallel and perpendicular accumulation rates. When the incident direction is inclined away from the surface normal, the pore orientation angle (POA) distribution exhibits a single peak rather than two peaks due to self-shadowing. Both the area and the orientation of the intracolumnar pores are analyzed. The results indicate that the pore configuration can be altered by changing the physical parameters of the deposition process.