The dozen contributors to this volume, all of them well-known, leading experts, provide a 'must-have' resource for fabrication, characterization, and applications in the field of hard coatings and wear-resistant surfaces. "Handbook of Hard Coatings" offers a complete explanation of commercially oriented deposition technology, from traditional vacuum-based thin-film techniques such as evaporation, sputter deposition, and chemical vapor deposition, to various thermal spraying methods. Readers also get a detailed technical introduction to the science of characterizing and measuring hard coatings - showing the physical properties of these films and composites as well as the underlying structure of the material. Two chapters explore techniques used to evaluate hardness, adhesion, friction, wear and stress, as well as key tribological properties. At the heart of "Handbook of Hard Coatings", an extensive practical applications section describes a wide range of conventional nitride or metal oxide coatings for both cutting tools and for non-cutting uses. In addition, a chapter on cubic boron nitride and diamond-like films provides a look at the rapidly evolving technology of materials and processes that are considered non-conventional.