An electron gun emits an electron beam that is guided by a magnetic field to strike a zirconia substrate. The substrate, bombarded by the electron beam, is vaporized, and the gaseous zirconia is directed onto the surface of the blade to begin deposition.
The zirconia grows into densely packed rod-like structures, each approximately 1 micron in diameter and 50 microns in length, covering the blade surface without filling the pores.
Since it is not a single continuous ceramic layer, the individual rods can undergo slight relative movement without causing the entire coating to peel off, thus addressing the issue of failure due to deformation.
