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 in the μm range are required which cannot be obtained economically by conventional cladding methods<xr id="tab:Overview of Important Properties of Electroplated Coatings and their Applications"/> (Tab. 7.1). Such coatings fulfill different requirements depending on their composition and thickness.