Besides manufacturing contact materials from the solid phase, i.e. by melt or powder metallurgy, the production starting in the liquid or gaseous phase is generally preferred when thin layers within the μm range are required, which cannot be obtained economically by conventional cladding methods. Such coatings fulfill different requirements depending on their composition and thickness.
They can serve as corrosion or wear protection or can fulfill the need for thin contact layers for certain technical applications....
