In the field of physical vapor deposition (PVD), arc PVD is one of the most widely used technologies. In addition, magnetron sputtering (MS) PVD technology is still mainly used. In MS-PVD, the use of pulsed power supplies has long been state of the art, for example for the production of coatings for cutting tools. The advantages are a denser and finer structure of the coating, which also leads to reduced surface roughness. Furthermore, the degree of ionization is increased.
In arc PVD, however, direct current (dc) technology is still the status quo, yet research has been going on for some time into pulsed arc PVD technology. Initially, the approach was to re-ignite the arc for each pulse through a trigger unit [1]. The current advancement involves superposition of base and pulse current [2] to avoid repeated ignition of the arc. In this process, the base current stabilizes the arc and the pulse current achieves a positive influence on the process and coating.
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