A3.
Surface Processing Operations
These operations include cleaning, surface treatments, and coating and thin-film
deposition processes.
Cleaning includes both chemical and mechanical processes to remove dirt, oil, and other
contaminants from the surface.
Surface treatments include mechanical working such as shot peening and sand blasting,
and physical processes like diffusion and ion implantation.
Coating and thinfilm deposition processes apply a coating of material to the exterior
surface of the workpart.
Some of the common coating processes are defined in Table 14.1.9. Coating operations
are most commonly applied to metal parts, less commonly to ceramics and polymers. In many
cases, coatings are used on assemblies; for example, welded automobile bodies are painted
and clear coated. There are a number of good reasons to apply coatings to the surface of a part
or product:
(1) corrosion protection,
(2) color and appearance,
(3) wear resistance, and
(4) preparation for subsequent processing.
Several surface-processing operations have been adapted to fabricate semiconductor
materials into integrated circuits for microelectronics. These processes include chemical vapor
deposition, physical vapor deposition, and oxidation. They are applied to very localized areas
on the surface of a thin wafer of silicon (or other semiconductor material) to create the micro-
scopic circuit.
TABLE 14.1.9 Common Coating and Deposition Processes
Process Description
Anodizing An electrolytic process in which an oxide coating is formed on a metallic
surface by chemical reaction. Unlike electroplating, the part is the anode
in anodizing. Commonly used on aluminum.
Chemical vapor Chemical reactions between a mixture of gases and the surface of a
deposition (CVD) heated substrate, causing decomposition of some of the gas
constituents and formation of a solid film on the substrate.
Electroless A plating process driven entirely by chemical reactions, with no external
plating source of electric current. Deposition occurs in an aqueous solution
containing ions of the metal to be plated.
The workpart serves as a catalyst for the plating reaction.
Hot dipping This process consists of immersing a metal substrate in a molten bath of
a second metal, which is coated onto the substrate upon removal.
Organic coating Popularly known as painting, the process involves the application of a
thin coating of polymer or resin liquids (usually, but powders are also
used) that dry and harden on the surface of a substrate. Application
methods include brushing, rolling, spraying, and immersion.
Phosphate Formation of a phosphate film on a base metal surface by exposure to
coating solutions of certain phosphate salts plus dilute phosphoric acid.
Commonly used to prepare surface for painting.
Physical vapor Conversion of a material into its vapor phase in a vacuum chamber and
deposition (PVD) then condensing it onto a substrate as a very thin film. PVD can be used
for a variety of coating materials (metals, alloys, ceramics, even some
polymers) onto a variety of substrate materials (metals, glass, plastics).
Porcelain Process consists of:
enameling 1. Preparation of the coating material as fine porcelain particles called
frit
2. Application onto the target surface by spraying, dipping, or other
method
3. Drying
4. Firing to cause sintering of the porcelain powders
Thermal spraying Thermal Molten coating materials are sprayed onto a substrate surface,
solidifying and adhering to the surface.
