physical vapour deposition (coating) (PVD)
Thin-film technology uses the additive process, in which individual layers are vapor-deposited onto a substrate. To avoid oxidation and contamination, the coating is applied under high vacuum.
In this process, the materials to be applied are deposited from the gas phase and vapor-deposited onto the substrate at the appropriate locations. Deposition from the vapor phase can be done physically, as in physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemically, as in chemical vapor deposition( CVD), by electron or laser beam evaporation, or using electric plasmas.
In the PVD process, the solid material is evaporated and precipitates on the substrate by condensation. The material remains unchanged in its properties. The material can be conductive and semiconductive material from which conductive tracks and semiconductor devices are formed.