Short Courses

Short Course Tracks and Modules

The International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF) will host a series of Short Course Modules following four (4) tracks. The modules will be in two (2) hour increments. You may add and select any combination of tracks and modules of interest. These modules will take place Sunday-Thursday, April 19-23, 2026 in the Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, CA.

Cost Per Track: $300
Cost Per Module: $100

Module(s) Include: Link to Course Notes (PDF)

NOTE: ICMCTF 2026 conference and short course registration have been integrated into one form. You may register for conference only, short course only, or both.

Short Course Tracks

Track 1 (T1) – Plasmas in PVD Deposition:

Sun., April 19: Introduction to Plasmas (T1) (8:00 AM-10:05 AM)
Mon., April 20: Arc Plasma PVD (T1) (1:15PM-3:20PM)
Tues., April 21: Plasma Sources (T1) (10:20AM-12:25PM)
Wed., April 22: Fundamentals of HIPIMS Plasmas (T1) (3:35PM-5:40PM)
Thurs., April 23: Atmospheric Pressure Plasma: Principles, Sources and Applications (T1) (8:00 AM-10:05 AM)

Track 2 (T2) – Growth of Thin Films:

Sun., April 19: Surface Engineering: Where to Start (T2) (10:20AM-12:25 PM)
Mon., April 20: Nucleation and Thin Film Growth (T2) (3:35PM-5:40PM)
Tues., April 21: Ion-Solid Interactions/Fundamentals of Sputter Deposition (T2) (8:00 AM-10:05 AM)
Wed., April 22: Reactive Magnetron Sputter Deposition (T2) (1:15PM-3:20 PM)
Thurs., April 23: Interface Engineering for Successful Deposition on Technological Substrates (T2) (10:20AM-12:25PM)

Track 3 (T3) – Control of Film Properties:

Sun., April 19: Control of Microstructure (T3) (1:15PM-3:20 PM)
Mon., April 20: Defects in Thin Films and Materials (T3) (8:00 AM-10:05 AM)
Tues., April 21: Fundamentals of HIPIMS Thin Film Deposition (T3) (3:35PM-5:40PM)
Wed., April 22: Design and Deposition of Hard and Superhard Coatings (T3) (10:20AM -12:25PM)
Thurs., April 23: Nanomechanics and Tribology of Thin Film Coatings (T3) (1:15PM-3:20PM)

Track 4 (T4) – Toolbox for Coating Research:

Sun., April 19: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (T4) (3:35PM-5:40PM)
Mon., April 20: Ellipsometry (T4) (10:20AM-12:25PM)
Tues., April 21: X-ray Diffraction (T4) (1:15PM- 3:20 PM)
Wed., April 22: Electron Microscopy (T4) (8:00 AM – 10:05 AM)
Thurs., April 23: Introduction to Materials Modelling (T4) (3:35PM-5:40PM)

Short Course Modules

Times	Sunday April 19, 2026	Monday April 20, 2026	Tuesday April 21, 2026	Wednesday April 22, 2026	Thursday April 23, 2026
8:00 AM-10:05 AM	T1 Introduction to Plasmas Andre Anders	T3 Defects in Thin Films and Materials Paul Mayrhofer	T2 Ion-Solid Interactions/Fundamentals of Sputter Deposition Ivan Petrov	T4 Electron Microscopy Helmut Riedl	T1 Atmospheric Pressure Plasma: Principles, Sources and Applications Hana Barankova Ladislov Bardos
10:20 AM-12:25 PM	T2 Surface Engineering: Where to Start Aharon Inspektor	T4 Ellipsometry Ufuk Kilic	T1 Plasma Sources Hana Barankova Ladislov Bardos	T3 Design and Deposition of Hard and Superhard Coatings Aharon Inspektor	T2 Interface Engineering for Successful Deposition on Technological Substrates Ludvik Martinu
1:15 PM-3:20 PM	T3 Control of Microstructure Ivan Petrov	T1 Arc Plasma PVD Andre Anders	T4 X-ray Diffraction Helmut Riedl	T2 Reactive Magnetron Sputter Deposition Diederik Depla	T3 Nanomechanics and Tribology of Thin Film Coatings Esteban Broitman
3:35 PM-5:40 PM	T4 X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Grzegorz (Greg) Greczynski	T2 Nucleation and Thin Film Growth Diederik Depla	T3 Fundamentals of HIPIMS Thin Film Deposition Arutiun Ehiasarian	T1 Fundamentals of HIPIMS Plasmas Arutiun Ehiasarian	T4 Introduction to Materials Modelling David Holec