ABSTRACT
Multilayer coatings and nanothin layers of films are being developed and investigated every day.1-8 Previous studies have shown that multilayer coatings can lead to benefits in performance over comparable single-layer coatings and can combine the attractive properties of different materials in a single protective layer. There are many advanced coating systems currently under investigation and many methods are being researched to create these films, as shown in Fig. 20.18 (Elshabini-Riad). The reason for the enormous amount of research in this area is that these coatings are useful in a plethora of different fields from national defense, to biomedical applications, to manufacturing.2,4,9-11 Each area of use mandates a different set of properties and these properties must be analyzed and quantified by researchers.
