Cathodic Arc Evaporation - A Versatile Tool for Thin Film Deposition

Cathodic arc evaporation as a deposition technique (cathodic arc deposition CAD) is rapidly developing, emerging different novel variants. Three new fields of science and technology of CAD are reviewed: i) an analytical model of reactive CAD of metal cathodes, ii) the deposition of amorphous CN x films by filtered carbon arc deposition combined with a nitrogen ion source and iii) the first realization of a CAD process with a hot boron cathode which among others is suitable for cubic boron nitride deposition.