Creating ceramic electrically insulating coating on metal surface

The present work deals with the problem of creating dielectric (ceramic) coating on the surfaces of conductive materials for endowing them with insulating properties. The coatings have been created using the electron-beam evaporation of aluminum oxide ceramics. A plasma electron source operating in the forevacuum range of pressure (5-100 Pa) have been used as a source of electrons. It has enabled an effective transport of the electron beam onto the ceramic non-conductive surface and its melting and evaporation. During this process, the electric charge brought by the electron beam onto the surface of the ceramic target is completely neutralized by the ions of gas discharge plasma generated by the electron beam along its transport path towards the target.