V. Basil Hans,
- Research Professor, Srinivas University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Abstract
In contemporary materials science, thin film and coating technologies are essential because they allow for the improvement of surface characteristics, including electrical conductivity, hardness, corrosion resistance, and optical performance. These technologies use physical, chemical, or hybrid deposition techniques to deposit materials in layers that range in thickness from a few nanometres to several micrometres, depending on the required functional properties and application areas. The content, thickness, and microstructure of films can now be precisely controlled because of recent developments in processes like sputtering, chemical vapour deposition (CVD), physical vapour deposition (PVD), and atomic layer deposition (ALD), which offer exceptional uniformity and reproducibility. These advanced methods make it possible to tailor materials at the nanoscale level, ensuring that films exhibit enhanced adhesion, durability, and overall performance under various operating conditions. The basic ideas, production processes, and characterisation methods of thin films and coatings are reviewed in this study to provide a comprehensive understanding of their scientific and technological significance. Their uses in electronics, optics, energy devices, and protective surfaces are highlighted, along with new developments in nanostructured coatings and ecologically friendly deposition techniques that support sustainability and environmental protection. The conversation focuses on how advancements in thin film technology are propelling the development of high-performance materials and cutting-edge industrial applications, ultimately enabling innovations in sectors such as microelectronics, photovoltaics, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, where thin films play a vital role in achieving superior efficiency, functionality, and long-term reliability.
Keywords: Slender films, methods of deposition, nanostructured coatings, nano-coating, biomedical engineering
[This article belongs to Journal of Thin Films, Coating Science Technology & Application ]
V. Basil Hans. A Comprehensive Analysis of Coating Technology and Thin Films. Journal of Thin Films, Coating Science Technology & Application. 2025; 12(03):50-64.
V. Basil Hans. A Comprehensive Analysis of Coating Technology and Thin Films. Journal of Thin Films, Coating Science Technology & Application. 2025; 12(03):50-64. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jotcsta/article=2025/view=235169
References
- Hafezian S. Studies on Ultrathin Silver Films for Energy-Saving Coatings and Growth Control. Doctoral thesis. Polytechnique Montréal; 2019. PolyPublie. Polymtl.ca/publications/ publications/3925/
- Domingo Beltrán M, Luna Molina R, Ángel Satorre Aznar M, Santonja Moltó C, et al. Double Laser for Depth Measurement of Thin Films of Ice. Sensors (Basel). 2015 Sep 29; 15(10): 25123–38. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Gumpert F, Janßen A, Basu R, Brabec CJ, et al. On the theoretical framework for meniscus-guided manufacturing of large-area OPV modules. Prog Org Coat. 2024 Jul; 192: 108505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2024.108505
- Vieira MT, Pereira CM, Castanho JM. The influence of nitrogen on the mechanical behaviour of multilayered coatings. Surf Coat Technol. 2000 Sep 1; 131(1–3): 417–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0257–8972(00)00780–5
- Manova D, Gerlach JW, Mändl S. Thin Film Deposition Using Energetic Ions. Materials. 2010; 3(8): 4109–4141. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Forgerini FL, Marchiori R. A brief review of mathematical models of thin film growth and surfaces: A possible route to avoid defects in stents. Biomatter. 2014; 4(1): e28871. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Paritosh F, Srolovitz DJ. Modifying the microstructure and morphology of film surface layers by manipulating chemical vapour deposition reactor conditions. J Appl Phys. 2001; 89(9): 4857–4865.
- Viehbeck S. Application of novel instrumental analytical approaches for the characterisation of surface related phenomena in the context of automotive manufacturing. Thesis. Germany: The University of Regensburg; 2019. The URL is https://epub.uni-regensburg.de/
- Gądek-Moszczak A, Radek N, Pliszka I, Augustyn-Nadzieja J, et al. Nano X-ray Tomography Application for Quantitative Surface Layer Geometry Analysis after Laser Beam Modification. Materials (Basel). 2022 Aug 27; 15(17): 5935. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Bonal V, Quintana JA, Muñoz-Mármol R, Villalvilla JM, et al. Sub-400 nm film thickness determination from transmission spectra in organic distributed feedback lasers fabrication. Thin Solid Films. 2019; 692: 137580.
- Khanlari K. A. Design of experiment of a novel cermet coating sprayed with the HVAF technology. Master’s degree thesis. Finland: Tampere University of Technology; 2015.
- Wan H, Song D, Li X, Zhang D, et al. Failure Mechanisms of the Coating/Metal Interface in Waterborne Coatings: The Effect of Bonding. Materials. 2017; 10(4): 397. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Malcolm IVES. Fundamental studies of the PVD technique. Thesis. United Kingdom: Sheffield Hallam University, then known as Sheffield Polytechnic; 1970.
- Martinu L, Habibzadeh S, Klemberg-Sapieha JE, Zabeida O, et al. Surface engineering and vapour phase technologies for coating and functionalising complex objects and small particles. Fluidization XV Conference, Montebello, Québec. 2016.
- Chadwick N, Sathasivam S, Bawaked SM, Mokhtar MMM, et al. The use of time resolved aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition in mapping metal oxide thin film growth and fine tuning functional properties. J Mater Chem A. 2015; 3(9): 4811–4819.
- Puurunen RL, Dendooven J, Cremers V. Conformality in atomic layer deposition: current status overview of analysis and modelling. Appl Phys Rev. 2019 Jun; 6(2): 021302. DOI: 10.1063/1.5060967
- Aksenov II, Aksyonov DS. Vacuum-arc coating deposition: physical aspects. East Eur J Phys. 2014; 1(3): 22–39. 10.26565/2312-4334-2014-3-02 | https://doi.org
- Bîrleanu C, Pustan M, Serdean F, Merie V. AFM Nanotribomechanical Characterisation of Thin Films for MEMS Applications. Micromachines. 2022; 13(1): 23. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Ramalho A. A geometrical model to predict the wear evolution of coated surfaces. Wear. 2008; 264(9): 775–780. The DOI is 10.1016/j.wear.2006.12.076.
- Rasheed M, Barille R. Optical constants of DC sputtering derived ITO, TiO2 and TiO2:Nb thin films characterised by spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry for optoelectronic devices. J Non-Cryst Solids. 2017 Nov 15; 476: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.jnoncrysol.2017.04.027
- Novak J. Ocjena zaštitnih svojstava organiskih prevlaka na različitim metalnim podlogama. Thesis. Croatia: University of Zagreb; 2019. Repozitorij.fsb.unizg.hr’s https://
- McDonald A, Rezvani Rad M, Tejero-Martin D, et al. A review of thermal-sprayed functional and smart coatings that go beyond conventional coatings. J Therm Spray Tech. 2019; 28: 598–644. 10.1007/s11666-019-00857-1 has been published.
- Vladimir Khuu. Spectral radiative properties of thin films with rough surfaces using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. Thesis. Georgia, United States: George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; Georgia Institute of Technology; 2004. www.grafiati.com
- Mozafari M, Salahinejad E, Shabafrooz V, Yazdimamaghani M, et al. Multilayer bioactive glass/zirconium titanate thin films in bone tissue engineering and regenerative dentistry. Int J Nanomedicine. 2013; 8: 1665–72. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Andrina Kataja K, Fingar M. Analytical Techniques for the Characterisation of Bioactive Coatings for Orthopaedic Implants. Biomedicines. 2021 Dec 17; 9(12): 1936. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Bargraser C. Fatigue Lifetime Approximation Based on Quantitative Microstructural Analysis for Air Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings. Master’s Thesis. Florida: The University of Central Florida (UCF); 2011.
- Nielsen KH, Limbach R, Karlsson S, Wondraczek L. Quantitative image analysis for evaluating the abrasion resistance of nanoporous silica films on glass. Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 10; 5: 17708. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Selvarasu CP. Computational modelling of laser-induced delamination testing of thin films. Thesis. Urbana-Champaign, USA: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 2011. The website https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/
- Tinsley L, Chalk C, Nicholls J, Mehnen J, et al. A study of pulsed thermography for life assessment of thin EB-PVD TBCs undergoing oxidation ageing. NDT & E Int. 2017 Dec; 92: 67–74. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2017.08.001
- Jaddi S, Raskin JP, Coulombier M, Pardoen T, et al. Subcritical crack growth in freestanding silicon nitride and silicon dioxide thin films using residual stress-induced crack on-chip testing technique. Euromat 2019, European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes; Stockholm, Sweden. 2019. This link: https://www.uclouvain.be/en
- Li C, Mader L, Schaubroeck D, et al. Accelerated hermeticity testing of biocompatible moisture barriers used for encapsulation of implantable medical devices. Coatings. 2017; 10(1): 19.
- Bobaru F, Lakkaraju RK, Rohde S. Optimisation of Multilayer Wear-Resistant Thin Films Using Finite Element Analysis on Stiff and Compliant Substrates. Vacuum Surf Films: J Vac Sci Technol. 2006; 24(1): 146–155. 10.1116/1.2121750 DOI
- Uribe-Padilla J, Salgado-Valle J, Graells M, Lopez Serrano J. A viscosity-mediated model for relating gloss and film thickness of coatings. Prog Org Coat. 2019; 136: 105195. DOI J.porgcoat.2019.06.041 10.1016 2019.
- Merlo A, Leonard G. Magnetron Sputtering vs. Electrodeposition for Hard Chrome Coatings: A Comparison of Environmental and Economic Performances. Materials. 2021; 14(14): 3823. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Valencia Ramirez A, Verding P, Nivelle P, Shanivarasanthe Nithayananda Kumar R. Deposition of ultra-thin coatings by a nature-inspired Spray-on-Screen technology. Commun Eng. 2023; 2: 42. nih.gov/ncbi.nlm
- Becker NG, Butterworth A, Sokolov A, Salome M, et al. Atomic Layer deposition of 2D and 3D standards for quantitative synchrotron-based composition and structural analysis methods. J Vac Sci Technol. 2017; 36(2): 02D403. 10.1116/1.5025240 DOI

Journal of Thin Films, Coating Science Technology & Application
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 03 |
| Received | 30/10/2025 |
| Accepted | 06/11/2025 |
| Published | 15/11/2025 |
| Publication Time | 16 Days |
Login
PlumX Metrics