Chapter 7 - Ion Plating

Abstract

Ion plating uses ion bombardment of the substrate surface and the coating being deposited, to tailor the interfacial structure, adhesion, physical, functional, and long-term stability properties of the coating formed from condensing vapor in a vacuum. The source of vapor in the ion plating process may be from any of the traditional vacuum coating sources as well as from chemical vapor precursors. The ion plating process was disclosed in the technical literature in 1964 using ions extracted from a low-pressure plasma. Later the technique was applied using ion beams in a good vacuum. The ion plating process was quickly applied to corrosion protective, electrical, and tribological coatings. Later the technique was used to deposit dense optical coatings. The ion plating process had a significant effect on the spectrum of vacuum coated products. Today the concepts of ion plating are in widespread use in the vacuum coating community.