PVD thin film metal coatings: Physical Vapour Deposition

The PVD process consists of the deposition of a film on a surface through the evaporation and following condensation on the surface of the material employed to produce the layer (both in a reactive and non-reactive atmosphere).
PVD technology can be divided into three main classes, which differentiate from each other in terms of the method used for evaporating the material and coating the substrate: evaporation, ion plating, and sputtering PVD.
To perform the PVD coatings, CM Group uses the sputtering process, where a beam of high-energy ions bombards the material to be deposited (so-called target), causing the release of atoms or molecules that deposit on the substrate, coating it. The particles generated through sputtering reach the substrate with much more energy than those that obtained with evaporative methods, and this promotes a higher quality of deposition.

Sputtering PVD coating can be produced using a wide range of materials and substrates. These range from Titanium, Zirconium, and Chromium Nitrides (TiN, ZrN or CrN); Titanium, Zirconium, and Chromium Carbonitrides (TiCN, ZrCN and CrCN); sweeping through a wide range of colours.

Advantages of the PVD Technique

The main advantages of the PDV technique are:

• Production of deposits with high-performance characteristics in terms of:
  • • Hardness (up to 2500 – 3400 HV) and wear resistance;
    • Low friction coefficient;
    • Chemical stability and corrosion resistance;
    • Thermal stability and barriers to diffusion phenomena;
    • Dense deposition (porosity almost null) 
• Control of the coating’s microstructure;
• Highly uniform coating even on highly complex geometries, with very tight tolerances;
• Minimum coating thickness (0.5 to 2 μm);
• The production of coatings with long-lasting (years) brilliant colour;
• Extremely clean process.

 

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