PVD Coating Definition & Physical Vapor Deposition Explained | China Surface-Finishing Guide – JLY Precision Tech

Need the PVD coating definition? This 3 000-word handbook explains Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) step-by-step, compares it to chrome & DLC, and shows how JLY Precision Tech delivers 5 nm–5 µm REACH-compliant films for aerospace, EV and medical parts.

July 18, 2025

PVD Coating Definition & Physical Vapor Deposition Explained: A Surface-Finishing Engineer’s Handbook

1. PVD Coating Definition in 60 Seconds

PVD coating is a vacuum-based surface-finishing process where solid material atoms are vaporized and deposited one-by-one onto a substrate, forming a nano-to-micron film that is harder, thinner and cleaner than electroplated chrome or sprayed paint.

Quick Spec	PVD Coating	Electroplated Ni	Spray Paint
Thickness	5 nm–5 µm	5–50 µm	25–100 µm
Hardness	2 500–3 500 HV	700 HV	200 HV
Max Temp	1 000 °C	300 °C	150 °C
REACH Status	Compliant	Restricted	Limited
Uniformity	±5 nm	±10 µm	±25 µm

2. Physical Vapor Deposition Explained – Atom-by-Atom

Step	Vacuum Level	Temperature	What Happens
1 Pre-clean	10⁻³ mbar	25 °C	Plasma removes oil & oxide
2 Bond Layer	10⁻³ mbar	200 °C	50 nm Cr or TiN for adhesion
3 Deposition	10⁻⁴ mbar	150–500 °C	Atoms condense, form film
4 Post-polish	Air	25 °C	CMP or ion-beam Ra ≤ 0.01 µm

3. PVD vs Chrome vs DLC vs Paint – 2024 Benchmark

Finish	Thickness (µm)	Hardness (HV)	Salt-Spray (h)	Max Temp (°C)	Typical Use
Electroplated Ni	25	700	48	300	Decorative trim
Spray Paint	50	200	48	150	Body panels
Traditional DLC	2	2 000	500	400	Cutting tools
HiPIMS TiAlCrN	2	2 900	1 200	1 000	Turbine blades
Filtered Arc ta-C	0.5	3 000	1 000	400	Medical drills

4. Three 2024 Case Studies

Case 1 – EV Motor Punch

Client: US EV Tier-1
Problem: 0.35 mm electrical steel sticking at 400 °C
Stack: 1.8 µm CrAlON + 50 nm a-C:H
Result: Tool life 4× longer, scrap −40 %

Case 2 – Medical Staple

Client: US MedTech startup
Need: Low-friction 316L piercing
Stack: 300 nm ta-C + 30 nm Cr adhesion
Result: Penetration force −25 %, CE mark granted

Case 3 – Smartphone EMI Shield

Client: Global mobile OEM
Issue: 6 GHz EMI leakage in SiC inverter
Stack: 150 nm Ag/Ni/Cr multilayer
Result: Shielding 85 dB @ 6 GHz, CISPR 25 passed

5. End-to-End PVD Workflow – From CAD to Coated Part

Stage	Actions	KPIs	Lead Time
1	Design Review	CAD + CFD + DOE	24 h
2	Prototype	1–10 pcs	48 h
3	Validation	CT, CMM, salt-spray	5 days
4	Scale-Up	SPC, poka-yoke	2 days
5	Production	24/7 lights-out	7–10 days
6	QA	Calot, CpK ≥1.67	12 h