PHYSICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION

Thin film technology is large branch of the generic technologies that has to deal with surface modifications of materials and coatings. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is very important branch of these Thin Film Technologies. PVD coating technology provides a promising ground for the deposition of hard coatings by the formation of dense adhesive thin films to achieve desired surface properties such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, hardness, toughness of cutting tools, forming tools and components in an environmentally safe manner. In case of decorative industry these coatings have been very effectively use to offer durability of the glittering surfaces with required colors. PVD coatings have now become routine processing step in tools as well as decorative industry.

PVD coating technology covers broad class of vacuum deposition processes wherein a metals or metal alloys are evaporated and converted into partially ionized gas inside vacuum chamber. These ionized gas ions are accelerated towards substrates in presence of reactive gas atmosphere to deposit dense nitrides, Carbides and similar hard thin films. The reactive gas atmosphere can be of pure nitrogen, oxygen, carbon or combination of these gases as desired. Cathodic Arc Evaporation and Magnetron Sputtering are the most common techniques used by PVD industry across glob.

At SMT, we use Advance Cathodic Arc (ACA), DC Magnetron Sputtering and MF Magnetron Sputtering PVD techniques to deposit high performance PVD coatings.  Advance Cathodic Arc produces high density smooth coatings as compare to traditional Cathodic Arc technique. SMT effetely use these techniques to deposit first generation single metal nitrides, Carbides and Carbo-nitrides of Ti (Titanium), Cr (Chromium) and Zr (Zirconium), Second generation alloy nitrides of AlTi, TiSi and AlCr and third generation multi-layer, graded layer and nanostructured coatings.  Coating thickness is generally maintained between 1-5 microns. Selection of coating, related coating process and coating technique solely depend upon the material of construction of the substrate (Job) and its end use. These coatings can be tailored to perform as a long lasting glittering decorative finish or as functional coatings to perform against difficult working conditions.