Method for locally repairing thermal barriers

The invention relates to a method for repairing a thermal barrier of a component comprising a substrate coated with such a thermal barrier, said substrate being made of a high-performance alloy, said thermal barrier being adhered to the alloy and having lower thermal conductivity than the alloy, the thermal barrier including at least one ceramic, one region of the thermal barrier being a region to be repaired, wherein said method includes the following steps: a) defining the region to be repaired, using a mask which protects the other regions of the thermal barrier; b) injecting a carrier gas loaded with droplets of ceramic precursor into a plasma discharge inside a plasma chamber of a plasma reactor containing the component to be repaired, while making the concentration of ceramic precursor in the carrier gas dependent on at least one parameter of the reactor selected from among: the pressure of the plasma chamber, the power of the plasma generator and the diameter of the precursor droplets, in order to control the state-liquid, gel or solid-of the ceramic precursor having an effect on the region to be repaired; c) injecting a gas not loaded with ceramic precursor into a plasma discharge within the plasma chamber, steps b) and c) being repeated.