benefits of eb pvd include smooth coating surface finish ability to create highly strain tolerant columnar microstructures and high erosion resistance its detriments include an inability to coat non line of sight areas difficulty in fabricating complex coating chemistries low deposition efficiency and high manufacturing cost the dvd or enhanced eb pvd has non line of sight coating capabilities and improved deposition efficiency as compared to conventional eb pvd again the fabrication method for each coating layer is selected by considering the benefits and detriments of each process in conjunction with the complexity of the chemistry and the function of each layer eb pvd or dvd may be used for the top coat of airfoils because of their smooth surface finish for aerodynamic performance and better erosion resistance as compared to plasma spraying eb pvd or dvd may also be used for layers with high coefficient of thermal expansion cte mismatch with cmc layers having high cte mismatch with cmc may cause high residual stresses and therefore experience short thermal cycling life cte mismatch stresses can be significantly mitigated by creating a highly strain tolerant columnar microstructure using the eb pvd or dvd processes plasma spraying may be used for layers with a complex chemistry multiple phases react at high temperatures to form glass containing reaction products that create strong chemical bonding for long steam cycling life an illustrative embodiment provides a combination of a plasma sprayed complex oxide based.