Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS
Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS

Applications

PVD hard coatings and metal films

Hard- and metal films are used for various applications

Forming shoulder coated with TiN
© Fraunhofer IWS with kind permission of company GVL Packaging Technology and Logistics Ltd.
Forming shoulder coated with TiN
Rheometerelectrode: A glass base body was prepared by structured coating with titanium. Such electrodes are used for impedance spectroscopy on living cells.
© Fraunhofer IWS
Rheometerelectrode: A glass base body was prepared by structured coating with titanium. Such electrodes are used for impedance spectroscopy on living cells.

Hard coatings

Hard coatings are often nitrides, carbides, oxides or borides of various metals. Typical applications are e. g. wear protection for tools (cutting tools, forming tools) and components (machine components). The conventional hard coatings – like TiN, CrN or ZrN – have been completed in the last years by multi component systems (AlTiN, AlCrN) and recently by nanostructured systems (e.g. TiSiN etc., CrSiN, super lattice films). They have partial significant advantages concerning mechanical properties and temperature stability compared with classical hard coatings.

Metal films

Nearly all metals can be deposited by PVD. Typical applications are e.g. barrier layers, wear protection, decorative and optical applications, solderable films as well as tribological applications. The IWS practices application oriented research in the field of film- and application development.