CATHODIC ARC P.V.D.
Cathodic arc evaporation is the most versatile of PVD coating technologies. Process uses arc evaporation to create a highly ionized plasma. This permits adherent coatings to be applied to low temperature substrates. The system operates effectively on a broad range of substrate materials and produces coatings with superior adhesion and performance.

Cathodic Arc is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process which utilizes a centrally located cylindrical material source called a target. The material source can consist of any electrically conductive metal. The process involves striking a high current, low voltage electric arc directly on the target material to produce an instantaneous ionization of the metal. The degree of ionization is typically around 90%. These metal ions are propelled at high energies (i.e.., 60-100 eV) into the vacuum through either an inert or reactive gas and is subsequently deposited onto the substrate of interest.

The type and volume of the gas utilized can dramatically change the nature of a coating without changing the metallic material source. For instance, Titanium nitride (TiN) is a hard, reddish-gold colored coating with exceptional wear resistance and hardness. TiN has historically been used in the tool industry as a wear resistant coating on high speed steel. TiN is produced by introducing measured amounts of nitrogen into the chamber during titanium deposition. This coating can be radically changed simply by adding an additional gas, such as acetylene (C2H2), during deposition to create a titanium carbonitride (TiCN). TICN, while also being very hard, exhibits a dark gray to black color and has been deposited to function as a non-reflective or decorative coating.

The uses and properties of the various coatings available from Tanury Industries can, in many cases, be tailored to the individual customers application. This custom process and coating design is standard in the development of most PVD applications. Characteristics which can be varied to create a significant change in material properties include coating thickness, reactive gas component, base material, bias setting, and deposition temperature among others. Once an approved process and coating are achieved Tanury Industries strict quality control requirements document each parameter for hard filing and input into a Programmable Logic Controller to control the process in a highly reliable manner.