Digitalization has long since found its way into industry and has become one of the most important elements of value creation. It is now taken for granted to design a component on the computer and immediately simulate its behavior in the application.
We deal with the simulation of arc coating processes, in particular with the processes on the evaporatior cathodes, in the plasma and on the substrate surface.
The arc spot motion is decisive for the local ablation of the cathode. With suitable models for the focal spot movement, the spatial distribution of the cathode ablation can be calculated. This is the basis for a targeted optimization of the cathode utilization by adjusting the control magnetic fields.
Significant cost savings and improvements in process stability can thus be achieved.
The coating of complex 3D parts with the arc PVD process as a quasi-line-of-sight process poses a challenge with regard to the achievable coating thickness distribution and homogeneity. As a rule, complex kinematics are used to move the parts during the coating process in order to achieve an all-round and uniform coating. Especially the setup of new processes (e.g. for product changes) usually requires many test runs for optimization. The necessary equipment and personnel costs can be significantly reduced by targeted simulations. Suitable models for plasma propagation and film growth are developed at the IWS. In combination with the arc spot models, powerful tools for the simulation of the entire process are created.
Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS