అవలోకనం

Cathodic Arc Physical Vapor Deposition (CAPVD) is a three-step process:

  1. Vaporization – Material is vaporized from a cathode using an electric arc.
  2. Transport – Vaporized material travels to the substrate.
  3. Condensation – Vapors condense on the substrate to form a thin film.

The CAPVD process offers significant advantages, including the formation of highly dense and adherent coatings with excellent thickness control (±5 nm) and high deposition rates. ARCI’s semi-industrial facility features 400 mm long cylindrical cathodes (Ø 110 mm), which minimize droplet formation compared to conventional systems. The setup accommodates components up to 350 mm (L) × 100 mm (W) and is ideal for developing advanced thin films and coatings for sectors such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, optics, electronics, and renewable energy.

Key Features

  • Ability to develop films/coatings with precise control over chemistry and thickness in various configurations: 

            (i) Monolayer, (ii) multi-layer, (iii) Gradient, and (iv) Functionally multi-layered/graded.

Fig: Hard coatings for cutting tools

  • Capability to deposit coatings containing Ti, Cr, AlSi, and AlTi in pure metallic, nitride, or carbide forms, such as: TiN, CrN, TiAlN, TiAlSiN, CrAlSiN, TiCrAlSiN, TiC, TiCN, TiAlCN.
  • Physical and mechanical properties can be tailored by adjusting deposition conditions.
  • Environmentally friendly process that is easily scalable with high production rates.





                                                                                          Fig: Hard coatings for cutting tools

    Fig: Erosion resistance coatings for compressor blades tools

 

 

 

 

 


                                                                                                                                                                              Fig: Erosion resistance coatings for compressor blades tools

Potential Applications

  • Hard and wear-resistant coatings for cutting tools – hardness up to 45 GPa:
    • High-speed and dry machining
    • Machining of advanced materials: CGI, Ti6Al4V, Inconel 718
  • Wear-resistant coatings for blades, dies, bearings – friction coefficient < 0.2
  • Erosion-resistant coatings for compressor blades – thickness up to 20 μm
  • Solar-selective coatings for thermal applications – α ≈ 0.96 & ε ≈ 0.09 at 400°C
  • Diffusion barrier coatings for electronic components
  • Decorative coatings for aesthetic applications

  • “An improved solar selective multi-layer coating and a method of depositing the same” Application No. 1567/DEL/2012, May 22nd, 2012. 

  • "Studies on cathodic arc PVD grown TiCrN based erosion resistant thin films" Krishna Valleti, Puneet C, Rama Krishna L, and Shrikant V. Joshi, JVST A 34, (2016): 041512
  • “High temperature stable solar selective coatings by cathodic arc PVD for heat collecting elements” Krishna Valleti, D. Murali Krishna, P. Mohan Reddy, Shrikant V. Joshi, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 145 (2016):447