Change surface properties with thin films
Coatings with a long service life
Metals, oxides, nitrides ... thin film technologies provide nearly all materials. In addition, stoichiometric composition and process parameters affect the properties of the films. Since the ultimate objective of functional coatings is their function, it can be helpful to subdivide the coatings by function. Combinations are often desirable, such as conductive and transparent, or decorative and tribological. All of these coatings also need to adhere reliably to their substrates so they are often composed of several individual layers and materials. The sections below outline a selection of thin film functions and provide some well-known examples.
