Laboratory for the Deposition of Thin Films by Magnetron Sputtering

Laboratory for the Deposition of Thin Films by Magnetron Sputtering

Deposition of thin films by magnetron sputtering – RF and DC magnetron sputtering. The equipment also includes a vacuum evaporation unit.

Service Description

The laboratory performs deposition of layers of various metals and their oxides by magnetron sputtering or vacuum evaporation. The layers deposited by vacuum evaporation have a controlled thickness. The layers deposited by magnetron sputtering are produced using two types of cathode sources – RF and DC. The substrates can be heated during the deposition process up to 300°C. The substrates on which layers can be deposited may measure up to 5 x 5 cm, with a thickness of up to about 5 mm. When layer deposition is ordered, the targets are provided by the client.

Woman at the control console of a large Kenosistec vacuum system with an open steel door and screen
Female researcher working at the keyboard in front of the screen of a Kenosistec vacuum system
Man seated at a console and screen operating a large vacuum system with its door open

Equipment

Magnetron sputtering and vacuum evaporation system, KES 500 TC by Kenosistec, Binasco, Italy

The KES 500 TC model is a single-batch sputtering and thermal evaporation system in a vertical configuration, designed for research and development applications that require flexibility and ease of use. The substrates to be coated with the deposited layer are placed inside the vacuum process chamber on a sample holder that rotates at an adjustable speed (0 – 20 rpm). The sample holder can accommodate samples measuring up to 5 x 5 cm. The anode (the holder of the substrate(s)) can rotate at a set speed to ensure improved process uniformity and low contamination of the coating. The process chamber of the system has three 2” magnetron cathodes in confocal geometry and a thermal evaporator mounted at the bottom of the chamber. The magnetron cathodes are of two types – one RF and two DC sources. Each of them has a maximum power of up to 100 W. In this way, at most two-component systems can be obtained, either mixed or deposited layer by layer. The targets to be sputtered are mounted on the cathodes and measure 2.00″ in diameter x 0.250″ in thickness. All cathodes have an individual shutter and a special shield to prevent cross-contamination between them. A quartz sensor ensures controlled thickness of the resulting thin films. The chamber provides heating (up to 300°C) and water cooling of the holder.

Man in blue gloves working beside the open steel door of a vacuum chamber
Man in blue gloves working with a KENOSISTEC vacuum coating system in a laboratory
Man in a white lab coat and a glove working at a vacuum chamber beside a monitor showing a process diagram

Gallery

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Access to the Laboratory and Service Requests

The laboratory is part of the research infrastructure of the National Centre of Excellence “Mechatronics and Clean Technologies” and is located at the Geo Milev campus. Requests for access and for joint research are therefore handled centrally — see Contact. In addition, a full overview of the Centre’s other laboratories is available on the Infrastructure and Laboratories page.

The laboratory’s equipment was established under project BG16RFPR002-1.014-0006, funded by the “Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation” Programme 2021–2027, co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.