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The integration of a Mid-Infrared (Mid IR) Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) based reflectance spectrometer into a Roll-to-Roll (R2R) Sputter Coater offers enhanced spectral resolution and tunability, allowing for precise and selective analysis of materials during the coating process. Integrating this advanced spectrometer into a R2R Sputter Vacuum Coater enables real-time monitoring and control of thin film deposition, facilitating improved process optimization. The ability to monitor reflection across the IR wavelength contributes to the development of a much wider range of functional layer materials and provides a versatile and efficient manufacturing platform for high-throughput production of coated materials with tailored properties, offering new possibilities for applications in various industries.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0049

Complex systems for coatings, deposition and etch often require precise temperature measurement and control for improved product yields. Other critical parameters may include process pressures, gas line temperatures and chamber wall temperature or strain as a safety concern. Cost-effective, field-proven fiber optic sensing solutions provide significant advantages over other sensor technologies in these demanding environments.
Fiber optic sensors are inherently immune to electromagnetic interference from RF, induction, and microwave sources. They can also be shielded from plasma light interferences to provide stable and accurate measurements. No sensor calibration is required over the design lifetime with minimum fatigue, resulting in lower cost of ownership. Multiple sensors and mixed sensing parameters, such as temperature and strain/pressure can be used on a single fiber optic cable thus reducing the complexity of installations and greatly increasing the density of measurement points. In addition, the fiber optic sensors are ideally suited for ALD and Etch applications, providing excellent accuracy from cryogenic temperatures to 450°C. In this presentation, Advanced Energy will review the status of fiber optic sensor technologies including phosphor decay, Fiber Bragg Gratings, Fabry Perot interferometry and infrared fiber pyrometry, followed by highlights of application solutions for ALD, PECVD and Plasma Etch systems including installation and performance advantages of these sensors.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0002

Vacuum coating from roll to roll is an established technology in the web processing industry. The applications are manifold. Complex multilayer stacks can be applied with R2R coating systems equipped with a precisely defined set of e.g. magnetron sputter sources. Examples of applications include low emissivity layer stacks for energy control, anti-reflective and decorative coatings, or electronic applications such as solar and electro chromatic applications or flexible printed circuit boards. Architectural, transportation, consumer goods and other industries benefit from this wide range of applications and coating equipment.
A number of these processes require high productivity to produce a high volume of product at competitive costs. This presentation will highlight the automation and modularity of the FLC1600 R2R system to increase productivity. One, two or more main coating modules can be integrated. The modules can be arranged and configured to increase the versatility of the process or the productivity of the system. The applicability of the system platform for high product versatility and productivity will be demonstrated. Furthermore, productivity is gained by increasing the coating speed. With modern process automation, oxidic processes are set stable at a high deposition rate. The presentation introduces the use of the Plasmaster program for R2R coating automation of flexible products.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0060

This paper summarizes a particular growth defect known as voids in physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings. We focused on ceramic Titanium Nitride Oxide (TiNO_x) exhibits many positive attributes:

1. A wide color pallet with different visible light wavelengths ranging from 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red).
2. High heat resistance for tools or sharp blades applications.
3. These films can be dielectric with high durability with improved scratch-resistance compared with pure metal.
4. Certain films have anti-bacterial properties and can be biocompatible for medical applications.

In our evaluation, cathodic arc deposition was utilized to deposit TiNO_x coating on a polished brass substrate plated with nickel and chrome. While the films are typically very brilliant in color and appearance, we sometimes see white spots (or voids) the size of ~ 0.3 μm in diameter. These coating defects are caused by arc macro particles in the film and can be seen by the naked eye. While it may be difficult to understand the direct cause, our investigation has shown that the white voids had no coating present and or poor adhesion exposing the substrate layer. We utilized a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDS) to evaluate the voids. The SEM showed that the poor coating area had a variety of foreign elements such as Fluorine, Aluminum, Silicon, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium or Chlorine from spot to spot instead of elements from plating process or the PVD coating process. In order to investigate this problem, we employed different types of plating or cleaning processes including Argon or oxygen plasma pretreatment. Further, several PVD coating parameters were modified to improve the coating quality. This paper will discuss these experiments and their results.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0041

Metal oxide thin films with antibacterial properties can be deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the surface of neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management electrodes to prevent risks of post implantation infections and bacteria colonization. In this work, we report on the development of antibacterial platinum-iridium electrodes using a two-step process. Electrodes are first hierarchically restructured using femtosecond-laser hierarchical surface restructuring technology and then ALD is used to deposit ultrathin metal oxides of ZnO on hierarchically restructured electrodes. Structural, chemical, and mechanical properties of ZnO films were studied using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation. The antibacterial properties of the ALD-coated electrodes were also studied, particularly, the killing effect on the two common types of bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) responsible for implantation infections.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0005

Due to the potential of excellent film control, uniformity, and conformality, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is seen as very promising for quantum devices where interface and material quality and their uniformities are a big challenge. Furthermore, for superconducting circuits, the deposition rate of ALD can be an issue since sufficient film thickness (> 50 nm) is needed to minimize kinetic inductance effects on resonator frequency and the shielding effectiveness of superconducting vias for crosstalk mitigation depends on film thickness and film conformality in the 3D structures. The challenge here is to deliver a sufficiently fast processes while maintaining the desired film properties and benefits of ALD.
Here, we will share our recent development of a new remote plasma ALD system providing high-quality superconducting NbN and TiN for quantum applications at rates > 25 nm/hour, which is approximately 3x faster than previously reported. The RF-driven remote plasma source design and chamber of our ALD system are optimized to enable this high deposition rate.
The quality of the deposited films was demonstrated to be excellent, as measured by four-point probe electrical resistivity, conformality (100% on 8:1 trench for NbN, verified by SEM), and superconducting transition temperature (Tc). Good superconducting properties of the film were demonstrated by SQUID measurements. A thickness non-uniformity of < ±5% across a 150 mm Si wafer was achieved with good repeatability. Both NbN and TiN films show cubic crystalline structure as confirmed by XRD measurements. We will also show how stress can be tuned as a function of process parameters, such as the RF source power and discuss film composition, stoichiometry and purity levels such as carbon and oxygen. We will also touch upon how ALD is well-suited to combine processes and provided ternary films such as NbTiN.
Emerging quantum technologies based on superconducting nitride materials are showing great promise and will benefit not only from the uniformity of the deposition, conformality and film quality, but also from the speed and control provided by ALD processes on this system.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0001

AE’s range of pulsed, DC and RF power supplies are key components on industrial coaters. Intelligent arc management is critical in such equipment to optimize process performance. Historical data logs help the user visualize process anomalies including arc patterns or triggers. As we transition into the era of advanced data science and computing, power supply data can be harnessed for predictive diagnostics and troubleshooting.

This presentation features PowerInsight which is AE’s (Internet of Things) IoT solution. PowerInsight captures and records high resolution data on total power systems with the ability to integrate with other data monitoring systems. Users can gain actionable insights from PowerInsight’s custom dashboards and alerts, maximizing power supply and equipment functionality. It also highlights use cases in which process engineers made data driven decisions to refine process conditions and reduce operational costs.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0008

As greater demands are placed upon manufacturing, coatings by physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma-assisted CVD (PACVD) are in many cases essential to increase productivity and to ensure excellent product quality while minimizing production downtime and scrap rate in forming and molding tool applications.
CrN coatings with and without the addition of tungsten remains an excellent choice for many forming applications. However, the wear properties at elevated temperatures under certain tribological conditions, such as observed in high temperature Pin on Disking (POD) Testing can be improved.
One approach that can be used to improve the high temperature tribology of CrN is to deposit a Cr_xO_y or (CrW)_xO_y top layer over CrN or CrWN, respectively.
This paper details the investigation of the tribological properties at room temperature, 400°C, 600°C and 800°F of CrN + Cr_xO_y as well as CrWN + (CrW)_xO_y deposited in commercial PVD arc chambers. The industrial applications where such coatings have benefited are in certain hot forging, die casting, and plastic molding applications.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0042

With a goal to assess the efficiency of physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating defect sealing by atomic layer deposition (ALD layers, we investigated the corrosion resistance of PVD TiN and TiN + ALD Ti-O (amorphous and anatase) layers in Hank’s solution. The corrosion experiments were conducted on circular areas with 2 mm radius, employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PD) measurements. To identify defect types, quantities, and their dimensions, confocal and tactile profilometry were performed before and after the corrosion tests. Results revealed that corrosion resistance of layers is influenced by the quantity of through-thickness “critical” defects. The above-coating height of these defects is approximately half of the coating thickness, and their diameter is proportional to the coating's thickness. With an increase in their quantity the corrosion resistance of a coated system decreases. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the focused ion beam (FIB) milled cross-sections revealed a uniform surface coverage by both ALD layers and effective defect sealing. Therefore, application of ALD layer over the PVD coatings emerges as a highly effective strategy for enhancing their corrosion resistance. Additionally, SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of a hybrid layer with anatase TiO₂ revealed formation of protruding nano-features on the surfaces. Such features have promising effects on the bone-cells activity and increased implant osseointegration.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0006

Touch surfaces play a crucial role in the transmission of bacteria and pathogens, especially in hospital and healthcare settings. There are many pathogens which are commonly found in patient wards and public areas throughout hospitals that lead to Hospital Associated Infections (HAI) which can have a devastating effect on the physical, mental, and financial health of a patient. In addition to this, HAIs cost the healthcare system billions of dollars a year in added expenditure. Furthermore, it has been found that a growing number of the pathogens detected have become resistant to the antimicrobial medications typically used to control them.
This work presents novel magnetron sputtered coatings have been developed with very high levels of biocidal efficacy. Sputtered antimicrobial surfaces have been produced in industrial PVD systems, including box coaters and Roll-to-Roll machines. 2D and 3D components were coated, as well as transparent flexible films. The surfaces have been deployed in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the United Kingdom. Flexible films were adhered to patient self-check in kiosks, and push pads and handles were installed throughout busy wards. This paper presents results from standard antimicrobial tests conducted over a 24-hour period, and long term data acquired during the regular monitoring of the surfaces.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc24.proc.0065