[en] The emergence of novel technologies calls for the development of materials affording ever-higher performance levels. This goes hand in hand, in most cases, with the requirement to protect such materials against an extreme, aggressive environment, be it for applications in the nuclear industry, or in the aerospace and automotive sectors. The evolution undergone by deposition processes has helped make possible the development of nano-structured coatings, exhibiting remarkable properties, in terms of wear, corrosion, and high-temperature resistance, in exacting conditions. (authors)