PACVD Coatings

Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition

Plasma Activated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Coating Services

Ionbond™ PACVD coating technology

PACVD coating technology is one of our coating technologies. The PACVD vacuum coating process is used for coating a very broad range of conductive and non-conductive substrate materials at temperatures typically below 200 °C. The typical thickness is in the range of 1 – 5 µm. Like in Thermal CVD, the origin of the final coating are gasses or liquids, called precursors. The plasma activation of such precursors is the alternative for temperature in order to support the desired reactions and coating formation. For that reason the coating temperature is a fraction of the typical CVD reaction temperatures. A main advantage of lowering the deposition temperature is widening of the range of substrate materials that can be processed, without losing the desired properties of the substrate materials.

Depending on the choice of the precursor gases, multiple coating materials can be synthesized. Well known coatings in industry are Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) variations as well as SiO2. Multilayers of different coatings can be achieved by varying the inlet of the different precursors over time.

The ideal solution for tribological systems

DLC coatings feature excellent hardness, wear and low friction properties under dry or deficient lubrication conditions. The DLC coatings are amorphous in structure. By varying the deposition conditions, the ration between SP2 and sp3 bonds can be varied in a controlled manner. In that way Ionbond engineers can design coating systems with optimum friction and wear properties, depending on the application requirements. High hardness DLC coating (10-60 GPa) will contain a high fraction of sp3 bonds. Dopants can be added to the carbon structure of DLC coatings in order to further control intrinsic coating properties. In that way properties like conductivity, corrosion resistance, and wettability can be tuned. Some of Ionbond’s DLC coating use a silicon doped DLC layer between the substrate and the functional DLC coating in order to promote strong coating adhesion to the products.

PACVD deposited DLC coatings are ideally suited for tribological systems found in engines, machines and other mechanical assemblies. Especially when dealing with sliding and rolling movements. The low affinity to many materials, like plastics and aluminum,  makes them ideal for high precision injection molding and forming tools. The nice shiny, black finish provides a nice aesthetic look and feel, which benefits Ionbond’s decorative customers, for example applied on watches and sanitary. DLC is chemically inert and biocompatible which allows for its application on medical implants and surgical instruments.

Broad range of substrate materials can be coated, because of the low deposition temperatures

No distortion of high precision substrates

In most applications, no post treatment necessary

Tunable coating properties to fit the application

No hydrogen embrittlement

Green technology with respect to its production process and product benefits

Globally available through Ionbond’s extensive network

PACVD Coating Technology

What is Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (PACVD)?

PACVD is also known in the market as Plasma Activated Chemical Vapor Deposition and Plasma Enhanced CVD. This technology is used for applying thin coatings to other materials. PACVD combines plasma technology with chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to create coatings with specific properties and it allows precise control over the coating composition. You can create smooth, hard, wear resistant and low friction coatings with PACVD technology.

Frequently asked questions on PACVD coating services

Prior to coating, substrates (tools and components) must be free of foreign substances, oils, or grease on all surfaces, not only those to be coated. Proper cleaning is critical for optimal adhesion and maximum CVD coating performance. Ionbond’s process includes a thorough cleaning phase, and we encourage clients to discuss the ideal preparation for their specific substrates.

Masking is generally easy with PVD, a line-of-sight process, while masking for PACVD is more challenging, and for CVD it is quite difficult. Contact us to discuss masking options for PVD and CVD coatings.

Typical lead times for both PVD and CVD coating services are usually 3 to 5 days. Test parts and sampling may take additional time for fixturing and process design.

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