See how Denton Vacuum has pioneered thin film for 6 decades.

Bias Target Sputtering for Thin Film Deposition

Laser reflecting on optic table

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Traditional ion beam sputtering (IBS) provides excellent control over ion energies and thin film stoichiometry, making it the process of choice for sputtering metals and dielectrics for applications such as vanadium oxide microbolometers and VCSELs. Still, IBS has various challenges in meeting the necessary standards for applications in which a high degree of precision and… Read More

Cathode Options for Magnetron Sputtering

Denton Vacuum magnetron sputtering illustration

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Magnetron sputtering is a versatile deposition technique that creates very dense films with good adhesion. It can easily deposit materials with high melting points that cannot be evaporated. Denton Vacuum’s magnetron sputtering systems are highly configurable with multiple cathode options to meet the specific requirements of different applications.  In this article, we discuss the multiple… Read More

Is Evaporation or Sputtering Better for Your Application?

Robotic arm adding an OLED screen to a smart phone

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When selecting a physical vapor technique for your manufacturing process, the end application will greatly affect which technique is best. While PVD has many forms, there are two prominent techniques: evaporation and sputtering. Sputtering through magnetron or ion beam (IBS) utilizes energetic ions colliding with a target to eject (or sputter) target material. Thermal resistive… Read More

How to Prevent Defects in Thin Film Sputtering and Evaporation

Two men in sterile suits

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The goal of any thin film deposition method is to create a high-quality uniform film across the entire surface of a substrate. Unfortunately, defects such as spits, particles, and voids can interfere with your ability to reach desired film quality. If necessary, there are ways to adjust a manufacturing process to eliminate such defects and… Read More

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and their Applications

GaAs VCSEL diagram

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Lasers are used in a wide variety of everyday applications, in everything from fiber optic telecommunications, to computer mice, to cell phones, and even cars. This is made possible by semiconductor lasers, particularly by vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). A VCSEL is created from a complex multilayer structure that is formed by depositing thin film layers… Read More

Utilizing Plasma in Chemical Vapor Deposition: Plasma Enhanced CVD vs PIB-CVD

Plasma Ion Beam Chemical Vapor Deposition

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In thin films obtained by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), chemical reactions are driven by applying heat to the substrate to be coated or to the area immediately around the substrate. Reactive precursor gasses are then introduced into the deposition chamber and react immediately with the heated substrate surface or combine to form new compounds that… Read More

Making a Carbon-Free Future a Reality: Electrolyzers, Platinum, and Thin Film Deposition

PEM electrolysis diagram

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One device helping make the carbon-free future more of a reality is the electrolyzer. Hydrogen is emerging as an increasingly important fuel source, and electrolyzers use electricity to perform electrolysis – the process of dividing water molecules into their separate components of hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The oxygen and hydrogen can then be compressed… Read More

How Can You Improve Factory Throughput in Thin Film Deposition?

Close up image of a silicon wafer

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Factory throughput in thin film deposition is one of the most critical factors affecting overall production performance. Whether you are manufacturing for high or low volume applications, you need to be able to meet production needs in the most cost-effective way possible, and scale into higher production when needed. Finding ways to raise your factory… Read More

4 Industry Applications for PIB-CVD

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In the world of thin film deposition, there are few techniques that have the versatility of PIB-CVD. Short for plasma ion beam assisted chemical vapor deposition, PIB-CVD is a cutting-edge thin film deposition process that can be used to deposit large area multifunctional thin films with greater efficiency as well as engineer new materials.  What… Read More

The Customer Application Development Center at Denton Vacuum

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Welcome to the Denton Vacuum Applications Laboratory Denton Vacuum has hit a milestone with the Customer Application Development Center, the Apps Lab, as we pass the 10-year mark. The CADC empowers innovation by producing state-of-the-art sputtered, etch, and evaporated thin films and evaluating machine performances with our cutting-edge tools. In the CADC, Denton has three… Read More