The introduction of directed vapor deposition marks the beginning of a new era in high-performance coatings. Because of the efficiency and flexibility inherent in the process, manufacturers will be able to develop and apply coatings for demanding applications without the costs and compromises associated with current physical vapor deposition processes. Higher deposition rates in DVD reduce process times to significantly reduce coating costs. Further operational cost savings are enabled because the high process efficiency reduces the volume of source material that is wasted during the coating process and limits the electron beam power required to create the vapor. Equipment costs are also kept low as coaters can be designed smaller and more compactly. The use of a low vacuum environment allows low cost mechanical pumps and simple feedthroughs that ease the development of unique coating architectures.