Carbon Coaters | Vac Coat Desk Carbon Coaters

Advanced carbon coating systems engineered for uniform conductive layers in microscopy and material analysis.

The process of carbon coating by thermal evaporation is a popular technique to coat a sample with a thin layer of carbon. Carbon coating applications vary from sample preparation for electron microscopy and structural analysis to research on the carbon-based coatings. Vac Coat offers carbon coaters and hybrid sputter and carbon coaters suitable for electron microscopy sample preparation and research purposes.

Carbon Coating Process

Carbon coating through thermal evaporation process is based on whether the carbon source is a thread/fiber or rod, each requiring a separate carbon coating workflow. Thermal evaporation carbon coater operation is commonly carried out in Flash and Pulse modes.

Carbon Coating Modes

In the Flash mode a continuous high electrical current is passed through the carbon rod or fiber to evaporate and coat the sample, while in the Pulse mode, a declined current in pulses of low duration (1-2 seconds) is used to do the deposition. The resulting carbon layer thickness and uniformity depends on the carbon coating method used. The flash mode represents a short-term deposition, but using the pulse mode provides more control over the coating process.

SEM Images Kidney with Vac Coat SEM Coater

SEM Images Flower and Pollen with Vac Coat SEM Coater

Explore Our Range of Carbon Coaters for SEM and Materials Science

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Single Carbon Coaters
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Hybrid Carbon Coaters

Carbon Coating Systems Applications

Carbon coating for SEM sample preparation and EDX analysis is one of the most important usages of a carbon coating system. Thus, performing repeatable, reliable depositions is required to properly evaluate the results, which is made possible by Vac Coat full automatic carbon coating systems. The auto carbon coaters allow the user to repeat the same carbon coating process running the saved coating programs.

Vac Coat Carbon Coaters

Vac Coat desk carbon coaters, DCR and DCT, are among the best carbon coaters, as noted by our customers. The low-vacuum DCR model is the economical version used for SEM sample preparation, whereas DCT is a high-vacuum turbo carbon coater, offering proper condition for more amorphous carbon layers, suitable for FESEM, EDX, and EBSD characterizations.

The large chamber turbo-pumped DCT-300 will benefit for uniform coating of numerous small samples or a large one up to 6 inch in diameter. In this model, the sample can be positioned in longer distances to the source in the chamber compared to DCT, so as to prevent heating the sample and spoiling the surface structure of heat-sensitive specimen that is to be studied with SEM.

Desk Carbon Coater – DCR

Desk Carbon Coater, DCR, is a compact carbon coating system suitable for sample preparation for the use in scanning electron microscope, FESEM, TEM, and EDX.

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Turbo-Pumped Carbon Coater – DCT

Turbo-Pumped Carbon Coater, DCT, is an ideal coater for FE-SEM, SEM, TEM, EBSD, and thin film applications. It offers high quality uniform carbon thin films.

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Vac Desktop Carbon Coater DCT-300 Closed 3shot

Large Desk Turbo-Pumped Carbon Coater – DCT-300

DCT-300 is a large turbo-pumped carbon coater with large chamber that is ideal for sample preparation for FE-SEM, TEM, EBSD analysis and thin film applications.

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Vac Coat also manufactures complete carbon coating systems as DSCRand DSCT, which contain sputter coating system in addition to the thermal evaporation carbon coater. Also DSCR-300, DSCR with a larger chamber (300mm Dia.), is offered for long-term duration depositions. The DSCT model can be accompanied by a metal thermal evaporator, named as DSCT-T.

Desk Sputter and Carbon Coater – DSCR

The desk SEM coater model DSCR is a compact coating system enabling both sputter and carbon coating. The DSCR is able to sputter noble metals such as gold (Au).

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Turbo Pumped Desk Sputter and Carbon Coater – DSCT

Turbo pumped sputter and carbon coater (DSCT) is able to sputter noble and oxidizing metals, with thermal evaporation of different carbon sources (Fiber/Rod).

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High Vacuum Dual Sputter and Carbon Coater – DSCT-300

The DSCT-300 is configured as a desktop dual sputter coater and carbon coater with fine-grain sizes without breaking the vacuum in a large 300 mm dia. chamber.

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The DCT-T-300 model as a compound carbon and thermal evaporator with a large 300 mm Dia. chamber is also available for coating on larger samples.

These coaters can be supplied with diverse optional facilities like plasma cleaner (for plasma treatment of samples’ surface and TEM carbon grids), substrate heater, and various sample holder stages (rotating, planetary, different sizes).

Sputter Coater and Carbon/Thermal Evaporator – DSCT-T

DSCT-T, sputter coater and carbon/thermal evaporator, is configured as a sputter coater, carbon coater, and thermal evaporator with 3 heads in one instrument.

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Desk Sputter and Carbon Coater – DSCR-300

The large chamber rotary pumped DSCR-300 with a 3 or 4-inch water-cooled magnetron cathode is a compact coating system for both sputtering and carbon coating.

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Turbo Pumped Carbon Coater and Thermal Evaporator – DCT-T-300

DCT-T-300 is a turbo pump carbon coater and thermal evaporator with large chamber and ideal for sample preparation for FESEM, EDS/WDS, TEM, EBSD, and thin film.

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