The recent developments in magnetron sputtering, described
in this paper, now allow very high-performance
coatings to be produced. Indeed, in many applications,
magnetron sputtered coatings now outperform coatings
produced by other techniques. However, their market
penetration is currently limited to certain &niche' sectors.
Traditional surface engineering techniques still dominate
the market place, and are likely to do so for several years
to come