Sputter Coaters | High Resolution Sputtering System
Advanced magnetron sputtering solutions for uniform thin-film deposition in research, R&D, and industrial applications.
Sputter coating as a common method for thin film deposition by vacuum plasma is used in various applications, such as fabrication of nano-electronic and optical devices, sensors, solar cells, as well as SEM sample preparation. Ion sputter coaters generate a sustainable plasma under controlled conditions to obtain a uniform coating. Magnetron desk sputter coaters produced by Vac Coat Ltd. are pioneers of automated low and high vacuum sputter coating machines for producing thin films of various materials by using DC/RF sputtering techniques.
Ion Sputter Coating Technique
Ion Sputtering is a method to deposit thin films of various materials on a substrate. Nowadays, ion sputter coating (Shortened as sputtering) is used in SEM Coaters for coating Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) samples with a conductive thin film, called metallizing. This is an essential step in SEM sample preparation to reduce electric charging of the sample surface, diminishing heat damage to the sample, and achieving high-quality images. Also, sputtering is widely used in thin film deposition for numerous research applications in solar cell, battery, sensors, and micro/nano-electronics.
From Compact Desk Units to Advanced Multi-Target Systems
- Desk Sputter Coaters
- Hybrid Sputtering Systems
- Multi-Target Sputter Coaters
How Does A Ion Sputter Coater Work?
Sputter coating of a sample requires plasma formation of a process gas between two electrodes to sputter the atoms of a target material placed on the cathode, which are deposited on the substrate afterward. This process needs vacuuming and precise manipulation of the base and working pressure of the chamber, process gas flow, substrate bias voltage and temperature, cathode voltage, plasma current, and deposition time to obtain desired thickness and structure of the coated layer. These numerous parameters can be handled accurately by using an automated sputter coater machine with programmable coating processes through user-friendly software.
To meet the worldwide demands in advanced coating, Vac Coat offers high-precision sputter coaters with extensive operational options. Programmable deposition process, real-time monitoring of the chamber pressure, cathode temperatures, and coated layer thickness by Quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors, and many other innovative features have made Vac Coat magnetron sputter coaters among the pioneer coating devices. Vac Coat also designs tailor-made desktop sputter coaters that fulfills the customer requirements to provide a perfect ion sputter coater for special needs.
Main Features of Our Desk Sputter Coaters
The key features of Vac Coat sputtering systems include:
- Built-in turbomolecular pump in high-vacuum models
- Selecting chamber size (170 or 300 mm Dia.) in some models
- Quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) thickness monitor
- Combination of sputter coater, carbon coater, and thermal evaporator in some models)
- RF power supply with an auto-adjustable matching box which minimizes the reflected power in the RF sputtering process (Optional)
- Plasma cleaner for partial removing of organic matter from the substrate surface or changing its surface wet-tability before thin film deposition (Optional)
- Substrate DC bias voltage (0-300V) and heater for increasing film adhesion to the substrate and modifying film structure (Optional)
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Automatic coating process (Adjusting vacuum level, sputtering current, coating time and thickness)
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Ability to rapidly enter and store coating process data
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Controlling the deposition process from pc through a Wi-Fi connection in some models
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Storing coating recipes for repeatable depositions (Saving up to 8 coating profiles)
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Electronic shutters
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Gas injection control through MFCs
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Automated cathode selection
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Rotating sample holder
Vac Coat Sputter Coating Machines
Vac Coat Ltd. is a renowned designer and manufacturer of desktop sputter coaters working at low or high vacuum. Vac Coat magnetron sputter coaters are provided in small chambers or large chambers, supplied with one cathode or triple cathodes and customizable features. So far, Vac Coat sputter coating machines are being used in a wide range of duties all over the world, from electron microscope sample preparation to the edge of science research projects.
3 Desktop Sputter Coaters
The rotary-pumped sputter coater DSR1 is favorable for low vacuum coating thin films of noble, non-oxidizing metals like gold (Au) and silver (Ag) and platinum (Pt), for conventional SEM imaging. High-vacuum ultrafine deposition of oxidizing and non-oxidizing is made possible by DST1 turbo-pumped sputter coater, introduced in two chamber size, Dia. 170 and 300 mm.
Magnetron Sputter Coaters with Carbon Coaters
Vac Coat sputter coaters can also be used as a carbon coater in a single compact desktop system with optional carbon fiber/rod evaporation attachment in low vacuum DSCR and high-vacuum DSCT coater models.
Consecutive layer coating and co-sputtering is made feasible with DST3 multi-cathode sputtering system, in two different cathode configurations, angled (DST3-A) and straight (DST3-S). These models are also offered with thermal evaporation option (DST3-TA and DST3-TS). Large samples uniform coating (up to 8 inches) is made possible with uniquely designed cathode masks in DST3-S model.
Glove box turbo-pumped multi-cathode sputter coater DST2-TG can be mounted inside a glove box, where purity is vital. This high-vacuum coating system can co-deposit materials through both sputtering and thermal evaporation methods, without breaking the vacuum.
