Arc evaporation

Arc evaporation is a physical process that is used in vacuum technology and surface coating. In this process, an electric arc is created between an electrode and the material to be vaporized, causing the material to change into a gaseous state and condense on a surface.

The arc vaporization process begins with the placement of the material to be vaporized, often in the form of an electrode or wire, in a vacuum chamber. The material is heated by creating an electric arc between this electrode and an opposing substrate or another electrode.

The extremely high temperatures of the arc cause the material to vaporize and be released in the form of ions and atoms. These ions and atoms move towards the substrate and condense there to form a thin layer. By controlling the process in a targeted manner, different thicknesses and compositions of the deposited layer can be achieved.

Arc evaporation offers several advantages, including the ability to produce high-purity coatings without impurities. It is often used in the production of thin coatings for electronic components, optical lenses, solar cells and other applications.

Some of the challenges of this process lie in controlling the thickness and homogeneity of the deposited layer. Nevertheless, arc evaporation remains an important process in materials science and surface engineering due to its precision and ability to evaporate complex materials.