Improving the Reproducibility of the Radial Argon Concentration in Beryllium Shells

• DOI: 10.13182/fst10-3692
• Publication Date: 2015-05-15T19:54:01Z
• Authors: K. Youngblood; C. Alford; S. Bhandarkar; J. Hayes; K. Moreno; A. Nikroo; H. Xu
• Keywords: National Ignition Facility

AbstractSputter coating of beryllium on spherical mandrels has been used at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and General Atomics to produce graded, copper doped shells. While these coatings have consistent microstructure acceptable void content, different coaters produced results with respect argon implantation. Each individual system met the requirements for implantation, but deviation from one another run exceeded variability as specified by Ignition Facility target design requirements. We redesigned fixturing within improve reproducibility. Then, we reconfigured so that vertical lateral alignments shells under gun varied <1 mm between systems. After this process, systems were able capsules radial profiles specifications system. During process gained insight into process. The variation was shown be dependent sputter thickness. also found content in extremely position gun.