Physical Vapor Deposition in Manufacturing

Abstract

Progress in the manufacturing and improvement of the operational strength of structural elements and tools applied in the diverse areas of life is mainly achieved by the increasingly widespread use of deposition techniques of thin layers made of hard, wear-resistant ceramic materials. A wide variety of coating types presently available and coating deposition technologies have resulted from the growing demand seen in recent years for cutting edge methods of material modification and surface protection. Among the numerous techniques enhancing the life of materials, physical vapour deposition (PVD) methods now play a significant role in the industrial practice. This chapter presents physical vapour deposition (PVD) methods for fabricating hard coatings on engineering materials and in particular: deposition methods, PVD coatings synthesis and substrate surface preparation, and also the applications of PVD coatings, as well as an overview of research methods and coating properties.