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Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coatings:

PVD coatings involve atom-by-atom, molecule-by-molecule, or ion deposition of various materials on solid substrates in vacuum systems.

 

It uses the atomic cloud formed by the evaporation of the coating metal in a vacuum environment to coat all the surfaces in the line of sight between the substrate and the target (source). It is often used in producing thin, .5 µm (20 µin), and decorative shiny coatings on plastic parts. The thin coating, however, is fragile and not good for wear applications. The thermal evaporation process can also coat a very thick, 1 mm (.040 in), layer of heat-resistant materials, such as MCrAlY — a metal, chromium, aluminum, and yttrium alloys, on jet engine parts.

 

It applies high-technology coatings such as ceramics, metal alloys, organic and inorganic compounds by connecting the workpiece and the substance to a high-voltage DC power supply in an argon vacuum system (10^-2- 10^-3mmHg). The plasma is established between the substrate (workpiece) and the target (donor) and transposes the sputtered off target atoms to the surface of the substrate. When the substrate is non-conductive, e.g., polymer, a radio-frequency (RF) sputtering is used instead. Sputtering can produce thin, less than 3 µm (120 µin), hard thin-film coatings, e.g., titanium nitride (TiN) which is harder than hardest metal. Sputtering is now widely applied on cutting tools, forming tools, injection molding tools, and common tools such as punches and dies, to increase wear resistance and service life.