Filtered Arc Evaporation

Abstract

Arc evaporation has been extensively used in the deposition of wear resistant coatings and metallisation. The methods used to improve the quality of arc evaporated films by macroparticle filtering are reviewed. The use of passive filtering, and internal and external magnetic fields are discussed. The technique of filtering using the magnetic plasma duct is reviewed in detail with emphasis on the properties of deposited films. The filtered arc technique is seen to be a useful method for the deposition of metal, nitride, and oxide films.