General Electric Company
PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THERMAL BARRIER COATING INTEGRITY BY LITHOGRAPHY

Abstract:

A method for protecting a coating on a surface of a component is provided. The method includes a coating step for coating at least a portion of the component with a ceramic slurry. A projecting step is used for projecting a pattern of light onto the component with a lithographic process to expose and solidify a ceramic layer. A removing step is used for removing unexposed portions of the ceramic slurry from the component. A heating step heats the component to sinter the ceramic layer. The ceramic layer comprises multiple ridges with each of the ridges having a curvilinear pattern.