Plasma surface engineering of metals

The marketplace is continually demanding better functionality in the surface and near-surface properties of metal components and tools. In the last 20 years, plasma and ion-assisted techniques have enabled new methods to substantially improve wear, corrosion, and fatigue resistance. In most cases, plasmas are used to enhance well-established processes such as thermochemical diffusion treatment and physical and chemical vapor deposition (PVD and CVD), but their operation in a plasma atmosphere has led to major improvements in their reliability and efficacy, as well as extending the range of materials and components that can be treated.