Through thickness reinforcement of SiC/SiC CMC's through in-situ matrix plugs manufactured using fugitive fibers

A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of ceramic plies, each ply comprising woven ceramic fiber tows;
• providing a plurality of fugitive fibers tows;
• laying up the plurality of plies in a preselected arrangement to form a turbine engine component shape;
• inserting a plurality of tows of oxidizable fugitive fibers into the component shape, such that the fugitive fiber tows pass through at least two ceramic plies;
• burning off the fugitive fiber tows, the burning producing through-thickness void regions;
• rigidizing the component shape with a layer of BN and a layer of SiC to form a coated component preform using chemical vapor infiltration;
• partially densifying the coated component preform using carbon-containing slurry, filling the through-thickness void regions with carbon-containing slurry;
• and
• further densifying the coated component preform with at least silicon to form a ceramic matrix composite turbine engine component with in-situ ceramic matrix plugs formed where the through-thickness void regions were located.