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One design consideration that can affect your process and thin film coating performance is the collective orientation of the substrate and cathodes during magnetron sputtering. Your system configuration may be oriented either horizontally or vertically, and both orientations have their benefits and tradeoffs. Vertical Sputtering: Benefits In a vertical sputtering configuration, the substrate and cathodes… Read More
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While thin film deposition is often used to create a continuous coating on a substrate, there are many applications where a patterned coating is required. These patterns create bumps, trenches or ridges across the surface of the substrate. This coating type is used for 3D applications, such as electrical interconnects. Focal plane arrays with high-density… Read More
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One approach to cathode placement during sputtering is a planar configuration, in which the cathode is mounted directly above the substrate. This is the preferred method for applications where uniformity is paramount to performance. Benefits of Planar Cathode Placement When you mount the cathodes directly above the substrate during thin film deposition, you’ll achieve: Excellent… Read More
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Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and other types of thin film deposition require a vacuum chamber to create thin film coatings. A vacuum is created when the coating chamber is pumped down, and all of the air molecules and other gasses are evacuated from the system. If these molecules are not reduced to an acceptable level,… Read More
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During sputtering, there are several different approaches for cathode placement, depending on what you need to achieve from your process. Positioning the cathodes confocally to the substrate is the preferred method for co-sputtering multiple materials during deposition. Cathode Placement Approaches Where the cathode or cathodes are placed in relation to the substrate can have an… Read More
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Optical and IR filters are both key components in imaging devices. They are designed to focus on and filter out specific wavelengths of light in order to create images, both for digital cameras and thermal imaging devices. An image sensor filter is a type of imaging filter that helps transmit and interpret color information, and… Read More
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For certain thin film coatings and applications, the substrate needs to be pre-cleaned inside the vacuum chamber in order to achieve desired properties and fulfill performance requirements. There are several methods that can be used to carry out this process, which have their own specific benefits depending on what you’re trying to achieve with pre-cleaning…. Read More
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Infrared optics, or IR optics, are growing in demand due to their ability to aid in navigation and surveillance in a few different markets. These optical devices differ from other optics because they deal with infrared light instead of visible light, which creates specific thin film requirements for their manufacturing. What is Infrared Light? To… Read More
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The medical market, including both healthcare and life sciences, is one of many markets that require thin film coatings to manufacture products. In the medical field, thin film coatings can enhance the durability of devices, improve patient comfort and even provide treatment for patients who need tissues removed, such as a cancerous tumor. Coatings for… Read More
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Edge-emitting lasers (EELs) and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) are two different types of diode lasers. EELs are well established in the opto-electronics market, but there are some limitations for manufacturers. VCSELs are also well-established in opto-electronics (particularly datacom), but as the technology matures, they will be better equipped to address those manufacturing challenges… Read More