Physical Vapor Deposition Coatings; Highly Durable, Corrosion and Scratch Resistant

Physical vapor deposition refers to a variety of deposition methods that can be used to produce thin coatings and films. Physical vapor deposition is a process in which the surfaces of various products, such as solar products, cutting tools, storage devices, microelectronics, medical equipment, etc., are coated with materials to form a thin protective film. In this process, the material transferred from condensed phase to vapor phase and then back to the condensation phase of thin films. Physical vapor deposition coatings are deposited for many reasons, such as to improve oxidation resistance, reduce friction, and improve hardness and wear resistance.

Physical vapor deposition is widely used in various applications, such as fabrication of optical and conductive coatings, diffusion barriers, interconnects, and fuel cell electrodes, surface modifications batteries, and microelectronic devices. Three commonly used physical vapor deposition in almost all industries are ion plating, sputtering, and thermal evaporation. It is extensively used in manufacturing of aluminized PET film for food packaging, titanium nitride coated cutting tools for metalworking, and semiconductor devices like thin-film solar panels.

Manufacturers/companies are extensively preferring physical vapor deposition techniques over traditional techniques, due to the eco-friendly properties, as well as other operational benefits, of the physical vapor deposition process. Moreover, manufacturers are involved in different business strategies to differentiate their products in an increasingly competitive market. For instance, in 2019, Voestalpine Eifeler Coatings (based in Germany) opened new physical vapor deposition facility in the United States to provide physical vapor deposition coatings solutions to the manufacturing communities.

The use of these types of techniques was developed to aid in the coating and other techniques used in the industries such as the aerospace, automotive, and other manufacturing industries. The application of physical vapor deposition technique lies in the fact that it provides a solid material that has been deposited on a substrate, which has a temperature and a low level of vaporization. The physical vapor deposition of a solid substrate is made possible by the use of a vacuum system that is coupled with appropriate heating methods. Moreover, this technique allows the depositing of solid material on the substrate without causing any damage to the underlying substrate.