47th Annual Society of Vacuum Coaters Technical Conference

Adam's Mark Dallas Hotel
Dallas, TX
April 24–29, 2004

The following information is provided as historical information for those who were unable to attend the show in April 2004, or those interested in learning more about the Society of Vacuum Coaters Annual Technical Conference.

Tuesday Morning

Start Your Day Right on Tuesday and Wednesday

Join in any of the various scintillating "round-table" discussions led by topic experts . At the Technology Forum Breakfasts, continental fare is served with a side of invigorating interaction.

Barrier Coatings—G. Graff, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory
Many components and devices used in flat panel displays require barrier and encapsulation coatings to prevent degradation due to water and oxygen ingress. Deposition of polymer-based barrier and encapsulation coatings on flexible plastic substrates for these applications will be presented. An invited presentation will take place on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. on this topic.

Optical Design—H.A. Macleod, Thin Film Center, Inc.
Wavelength division multiplexing, ultrafast applications, decorative coatings, glare reduction, energy saving are just some of the currently important areas of application for optical coatings. Coating designs range from more than one hundred layers to just one or two. In spite of advanced computer programs, optical coating design still involves skill, experience and understanding. The emphasis in the breakfast discussion will be on understanding designs and design methods.

Optical Monitoring and Process Control—R. Shimshock, MLD Technologies LLC
Process control is critical in large area and web optical coating manufacturing processes. Real time optical monitoring of the coating being deposited is needed to control optical properties, film thickness and thickness uniformity across the web. Feed back systems to process control equipment are critical. Optical monitoring of web processes will be discussed. Please stop by and discuss your interests and problems.

Tribological Coatings—W. Sproul, Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
Tribological coatings are applied to surfaces by PVD processes to improve wear resistance and for lubrication. Recent developments in multilayered and nanostructured coatings are advancing this technology. Using these structures, it is possible to combine high hardness and relatively low elastic modulus. These developments will be discussed along with individual applications of tribological coatings.

Plasma Processing of Biomaterials—V. Shamamian, The Dow Chemical Company
Biomaterials encompass a wide range of applications. Polymeric, ceramic, metallic and composite materials are deposited for this application by plasma processing. Examples of biomaterials are bone matrix and tooth enamel. Biologically inert metals such as titanium are also used as with implants. Plasma processes used to deposit biomaterials will be presented and discussed. Please bring your questions and problems on this fascinating technology.

Adhesion and Deadhesion—D. Mattox, Management Plus, Inc.
Good adhesion of the vacuum deposit to the surface is a fundamental requirement of almost all processes. In this forum the discussion will focus on what makes coatings stick, how adhesion can be measured, what makes adhesion deteriorate with time, and how to cure production problems related to adhesion.

Technology Forum Breakfast Sessions
Wednesday Morning, April 28
7:00 a.m.–8:20 a.m.
Coordinator: R. Shimshock, MLD Technologies LLC and SVC Program Chair

Wednesday April 28
7:00 a.m.–8:20 a.m.

Magnetron Sputtering—D. Glocker, Isoflux Incorporated
Non-planar magnetron sputtering cathodes are used in a variety of applications, from the rotating cylinders found in large area coaters to hollow cathode sources used in microelectronics. Magnetrons can be built in man y different shapes, and this session will explore some of the design opportunities and constraints. If you have an application in which a planar source may not be the optimum, or if you would simply like to talk about what’s possible with magnetron sputtering, be sure to attend.

Emerging Technologies—H. Baránková, Uppsala University, Sweden
Topics to be discussed include new process design and process combinations, new plasma sources, how the process affects coating parameters, and what are the limits given by coatings and substrates. Share your experience and problems and their solutions with others.

Advances in Transparent Conductive Coatings—C. Bright, 3M Company
Transparent conductive coatings have numerous applications in flat panel displays, electronic devices, and solar thermal control. New applications on plastics are particularly exciting. All aspects of these coatings will be discussed.

Smart Materials—C. Lampert, Star Science
Smart Materials are currently being developed for a variety of markets. Switchable coatings are now being used for solar control, thermal control, automotive and ophthalmic applications. New applications include flexible displays, electronic paper, and electronic books. Switchable coatings include electrochromic coatings, suspended particles, and encapsulated liquid crystals. This exciting technology creates many opportunities and challenges for vacuum coaters.

Plasma Assisted Deposition of Optical Coatings—L. Martinu, École Polytechnique, Canada
High quality optical coatings are now being deposited by plasma assisted processes, including PECVD. A wide range of material compositions and optical properties is attainable by these methods. They are amenable to simple as well as complex filters and large area deposition, for example, on plastic substrates, and they allow tailoring the mechanical properties. Bring your comments, concerns, and experience to the discussion of new optical materials and applications using this technology.

High Volume Vacuum Coatings for Displays—J.B. Fenn, Jr., Fennagain
Vacuum coating plays a critical role in the fabrication of many display systems. The requirements of implementing and maintaining robust processes while maintaining stringent optical and electrical requirements present many challenges.

Process Modeling—B. Szyszka, Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST), Germany
Process modeling continues to expand and find more applications. Predictive models of vapor sources, mass transport and film growth are becoming more faithful, more robust and more timely - and therefore more useful. Effective use of these models can help process engineers get it right the first time in the machine definition cycle and can save money and time in the process development cycles.

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