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The SC-1 is a ground-breaking and high-performing cluster equipment that combines Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) with Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) in an extremely compact, modular, and fully automated system for high-throughput production of multinanolayered coatings from the ALD and PVD materials library.
This innovative patent-pending cluster system revolutionizes the traditional cluster equipment, as it eliminates the need for transfer arms and multiple antechambers, which occupy a significant amount of lab space, with high acquisition, operating and maintenance costs.
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The combination of ALD and PVD without breaking vacuum offer several advantages to fabricate advanced materials with tailored functionalities and properties. One of the primary benefits is the ability to achieve high-quality interfaces between the different layers of the coating material. The introduction of very conformal and pinhole-free films via ALD can stabilise the grain size of the PVD layers and hinder grain growth, which translates to improved mechanical and thermal properties.
Additionally, the material is not exposed to air and therefore there is no risk of contamination or oxidation. Since both ALD and PVD can deposit materials with atomic-level precision, combining the two techniques can allow for the creation of highly complex structures with unique properties that cannot be achieved using other methods.
Combining ALD and PVD without breaking vacuum can be a powerful approach to creating advanced materials with tailored functionalities and properties for a wide range of applications, including those in the semiconductor industry, optical coatings, hard coatings, and medical industry among others.
The combination of ALD and PVD layers creates a unique microstructure by stabilising grain size and hindering grain growth, which translates to improved mechanical and thermal properties.
TEM image showing a 200 multinanolayered coating of 20 nm of PVD Al and 1 nm of ALD Al2O3.
| Interchangeable Substrate Holders | 4 - 6 in. wafers High temperature (~900 °C) rotational and z-stages Temperature Gradient Stages (30 °C to 450 °C) |
| ALD Precursor Lines | Up to 8 gas sources with 6 individual inlets Ozone option |
| Magnetrons | Up to 4 conformal 2 in. magnetrons |
| In-Situ Metrology Equipment | Up to 8 gas sources with 6 individual inlets Ozone option |
| ALD-PVD Materials | Al₂O₃, ZnO, SiO₂, TiO₂, Y₂O₃, Nitrides Novel bubbler delivery system optimised for low vapour pressure precursors 500 nm Al₂O₃ < 1% 1-sigma uniformity |
| Mass Flow Controllers | 4 Analog MFC 60 Digital MFC |
| Pneumatic (ALD) valves | 24 valves |
| Pressure Sensors | 4 Analog |
| Gate valves | 3 gate valves with feedback |
| Flow meters | 4 Flow meters |
| Temperature | 16 Channel PID regulation with K-Type sensors 4 PT100/PT1000 |
| Interlocks | 8 Interlock in 12 Interlock out |
| Additional Connections | 2 Ethernet 2 RS485 |
| Software | Manual control Recipe Creator |
The SC-1 can be customised to meet your material and process requirements. Contact us for quotations or any other inquiries.