Original Contributed Articles · 2012. 6. 14. · Donald M. Mattox is the SVC Bulletin Editor and Technical Director. 4 2005 SummerNews Bulletin Letter from the President What a GREAT

Summer 2005www.svc.org

Summer 2005www.svc.org

NewsNews

A P u b l i c a t i o n f o r t h e V a c u u m C o a t i n g I n d u s t r yA P u b l i c a t i o n f o r t h e V a c u u m C o a t i n g I n d u s t r y

Organic Materialsand Processes for theFabrication ofElectronic Devices2005 TechCon Keynote Presentation

Organic Materialsand Processes for theFabrication ofElectronic Devices2005 TechCon Keynote Presentation

Reports from the2005 TechCon

in Denver

Reports from the2005 TechCon

in Denver

Original Contributed Articles:Coherence in Optical Coatings

Thermoelectric Materials and ApplicationsReactive Sputtering: Flow or Partial Pressure Control,

Which One to Use?

Original Contributed Articles:Coherence in Optical Coatings

Thermoelectric Materials and ApplicationsReactive Sputtering: Flow or Partial Pressure Control,

Which One to Use?

2005 Summer News Bulletin 3

Inside This Issue

A collage shows various ion and plasma sources designed by Kaufman & Robinson, Inc.Different gases produce their own characteristic color of high density plasmas andneutralized ion beams. By controlling the gases and operating parameters, the ionbeam can modify thin film properties, deposit coatings, and clean and activatesubstrate surfaces.

On the Cover

Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4SVC - Quo Vadis? by Donald M. Mattox

SVC TechCon Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Highlights include:• Program Committee Chair Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5• Emerging Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6• “Heuréka!” Post-Deadline Recent Developments Session . . . . . . . . . . . . 6• Innovators Showcase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6• Joint Session on Processes, Materials, and Systems for Flexible

Electronics and Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8• Plasma Processing Sessions Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 • Large Area Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10• Mr. Wizard Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10• Optical Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12• TechCon Education Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12• Plasma Processing of Webs: Session Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14• Process Control & Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14• SVC History Committee News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15• Workshop on the “Past, Present, and Future of Specialty

Vacuum Roll Coating” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16• Smart Materials Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16• Tribological & Decorative Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17• SVC Honors Excellence and Contribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18• Vacuum Web Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19• 2005 SVC TechCon Exhibit in Denver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

From the 2005 SVC Technical ConferenceOrganic Materials and Processes for the Fabrication of Electronic Devices

Keynote presentation at the 48th SVC TechCon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20by Zhenan Bao, Colin Reese, Mark Roberts, and Mang Mang LingDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Plasma Surface Engineering for Nanotechnology ApplicationsDonald M. Mattox Tutorial presented at the 48th SVC TechCon . . . . . . . . . . 32by Ralf Fellenberg, VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany

A Technique for Measuring the Thin Film Thickness of Ultrathin MetallicThin Films, 4-20 nm, using Atomic Force Microscopy

Presented in the Poster Session at the 48th SVC TechCon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34by Guillermo Acosta, David D. Allred, and Robert C. DavisBrigham Young University, Provo, UT

Contributed Original ArticlesCoherence in Optical Coatings

by Angus Macleod, Thin Film Center, Inc., Tucson, AZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Thermoelectric Materials and Applicationsby Peter Martin, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA . . . . . . . 30

Reactive Sputtering: Flow or Partial Pressure Control, Which One to Use?by William D. Sproul, Reactive Sputtering Consulting, LLC, Fort Collins, CO . . . 40

Sample Education Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Surface and Film Characterization: Anodization of Aluminum Filmsby Donald M. Mattox, SVC Technical Director

Society and Industry News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Corporate Sponsor News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Corporate Sponsor Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Coating 2005 Technical Conference Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Advertiser’s Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Editorial: SVC - Quo Vadis?

SVC, where are you going? For many years the Society of Vacuum Coatershas steadily become recognized throughout the world as the place to

present work on the technologies of vacuum coating. The SVC Short Course,Exhibit, and Publications Programs have progressed greatly. Attendance atthe 2005 TechCon was truly international, with attendees from Europe andAsia. Recently, SVC expanded the Bulletin to give it more technologycontent.

Technology is pulling SVC in many directions. The technologies thathave been used for many years now have many applications undreamed ofnot long ago. New applications and industrial processes such as smartmaterials, plasma deposition, plasma treatment of surfaces, nanotechnology,photonics, and many other applications need the value added and enablingprocesses provided by the technologies represented by SVC activities. Inaddition, the world of vacuum-based technologies has logically expanded toatmospheric pressure processing, as seen in the TechCon presentations onatmospheric plasmas for surface treatment.

Where do we want to go? SVC cannot rest on past performance.Processes become mature and fade from view. An example is coating forrecording media; this was a big subject at SVC meetings 12 years ago.Simple decorative coating also is not the major subject of interest it oncewas. SVC has followed the industry’s evolution; the tribological coating TACreplaced the decorative and functional coating TAC, which replaced thedecorative coating TAC. I think that we want to go in a direction wherethere is still a great deal of interest and overlap between the technical areasof interest. My recommendation is to stay focused! Smart materials, display

technologies, nanostructures, plasma-surface modification, plasma sources,plasma chemistry, coatings on particulates, surfaces for biotechnology,catalytic surfaces, etc., provide many such areas. One of the strengths of theSVC had been in the industrialization of vacuum-based processes, many on avery large scale at an acceptable unit cost. How can the SVC expand theirexhibitor base?

Quo Vadis? SVC is cooperating with other conferences to make theirpresence known. These meetings have been held mostly in Europe. Whatshould we do in Asia? Perhaps we can make more use of the Internet.

SVC has been a forum for presenting work that would never reach apeer-reviewed publication. In many cases it is because the people involvedin doing the work are “trying to make a buck” rather than a reputation.There are suggestions that SVC should try to attract more academics byhaving a peer-reviewed publication. Does that establish a void betweenpeople with differing goals?

Quo Vadis? The answer lies, to a great extent, with the views ofmembers and those exposed to the SVC publications and web site. Theperson to contact with Your Views is Peter Martin, SVC Vice-President, andChair of the Long Range Planning Committee. Peter can be reached [email protected].

Donald M. Mattox is the SVC Bulletin Editor and Technical Director.Contact him at [email protected] with your views on the TechCon, theBulletin, or any other issue.

Donald M. Mattox is the SVC Bulletin Editor and Technical Director.

4 2005 Summer News Bulletin

Letter from the President

What a GREAT Technical Conference(TechCon) we had at the Adam’s Mark

Hotel in Denver, CO! If you attended, youalready know this, and our thanks for yourpositive comments. If you did not attend,mark your calendar now for next year. The49th Society of Vacuum Coaters TechCon isApril 22–27, 2006, at the Marriott WardmanPark Hotel in Washington, D.C. Plan someextra time to visit the wonderful sights whileyou are there.

Of course the great TechCon in Denver wasthe result of much hard work by many people inour organization. I want to particularly creditand thank our management team lead byVivienne and Don Mattox, the Technical ProgramCommittee Chaired by Ric Shimshock andAssistant Chair Ludvik Martinu, and all theChairs and members of the Technical AdvisoryCommittees (TACs).

Key activities started Sunday evening, withour annual business meeting including theAwards Ceremony. We honored the 2005 SVCNathaniel Sugerman Award winner, J.A. (George)Dobrowolski. George has contributed greatly tothe SVC and to our industry in optical coatingtechnology. Also honored were our 2005 SVCMentors, Carlo Misiano, Ludvik Martinu, andRainer Ludwig for their contributions to vacuum

coating technology and the SVC. At the PlenaryAddress, Salil Pradham of Hewlett PackardLaboratories spoke enthusiastically on “RFIDTechnology, Promise and Challenges.” Good food,good drink, and great networking at the WelcomeReception followed the Plenary Address.

The TechCon opened Monday morning withthe Keynote Presentation on “Organic Materialsand Processes for the Fabrication of ElectronicDevices” by Zhenan Bao of Stanford University.She discussed the status and significant advancesbeing made in organic flexible electronics. Theoutstanding technical sessions followed this veryinteresting Keynote Presentation. OtherTechCon program highlights included, to namejust a few, the Networking Breakfasts, theHeuréka! Sessions for post-deadline papers, andthe Donald M. Mattox Tutorials. As always, awide variety of excellent short courses wereoffered, taught by industry and academic expertsin the various fields. The TechCon also featuredan outstanding array of exhibitors in our industry.These are just a sampling of the activities at the2005 TechCon. For a more detailed review, readthe articles in this issue by the ProgramCommittee Chair and the TAC Chairs.

Looking forward, members of the SVC Boardof Directors will attend the Summer businessmeeting on June 25th and 26th at the MarriottWardman Park hotel in Washington, D.C., the site

of the 49th Society of Vacuum Coaters (SVC)TechCon in 2006. On Saturday, (June 25th) wewill hold our regular business meeting. Thismeeting also will include a training session on“Best Practices” for Boards to focus the newBoard on strategic SVC topics.

By necessity, the Board was focused onoperational issues in 2004. In 2005, we want toidentify and focus on the top strategic issues.The Long-Range Planning Committee, Chaired bySVC Vice President, Peter Martin, has beenworking to identify these issues. On Sunday(June 26th), the Board, using their new trainingon “Best Practices” methodology, will prioritizeand consider strategic topics from the Long-Range Planning Committee. Other issues andsuggestions will likely be added during theBoard’s discussions. The objective is to focus theBoard’s efforts on the really important issues forthe Society’s future. Please help us to besuccessful in these tasks by providing youropinions and feedback on issues that areimportant to you. You may contact any memberof the Board (see the SVC Web Site for contactinformation), Vivienne Mattox ([email protected]),or me ([email protected]). We welcome yourideas, your help, and your support.

Clark Bright, 3M Company ([email protected]) isthe SVC President.


SVC TechCon Reports

Program Committee ChairReport

By all measures the Denver SVC TechCon was agreat success this year. We are very happy withthis outcome. We have received many commentsfrom exhibitors and attendees that this TechConranked right up there as one of the best SVCevents ever convened. While the Rocky Mountainweather was unpredictable (during the week ofthe TechCon, the weather still seemed to bedeciding whether it should be winter or spring,and yes we had snow) the climate inside theAdams Mark at the TechCon was definitely warmand upbeat. The turnout for the TechCon waslarge, and the mood was generally positive. Inaddition, the number of job postings was up overprevious years. With 1,355 attendees, SVC filledthe many large halls and the various meetingrooms of the convention center.

If your schedule didn’t allow for a trip toDenver for the TechCon this spring, you mightwant to check with someone who was able toattend the TechCon for a quick report or read thesession summaries included in this Bulletin. Youmight also consider purchasing the CD ROM ofthe Proceedings of the 48th Annual SVC TechConfrom the SVC office when it becomes availablethis fall.

We have also arranged to have two of theTechCon speakers submit a write-up of theirpresentation topics for this Bulletin. Please seethe article by our Keynote Speaker, ProfessorZhenan Bao, on organic materials or Dr. RalfFellenberg’s article covering his lunchtimetutorial topic on plasma processing andnanotechnology.

Our Plenary Speaker, Salil Pradhan, ChiefTechnology Officer for the RFID Center ofExcellence at Hewlett Packard (HP) Laboratoriesin Palo Alto, CA, started things off with hisoverview of RFID technology and some of thepotential applications that we as suppliers orconsumers might encounter in the coming years.This technology appears to have great potentialfor many applications, but also has challengesarising from cost pressures, readouts scenarios,and batteries for active systems.

There were a number of new offerings in theExhibit this year, and we had a number of firsttime exhibitors. We hope to see them back nextyear. The poster session continued to grow inboth quality and number. Attendance at themany Education Courses was up, and there was astrong showing as usual at the LunchtimeTutorials, the Technology Forum/NetworkingBreakfasts and the “Meet the Experts” Corner.

We had some popular new offerings: DonMcClure presented his “Mr. Wizard” demonstra-tion on vacuum technologies, held on Sundayafternoon before the Plenary SpeakerPresentation. It should be noted that even somespouses were in the audience. Based on thisresponse, we hope that Don will return with thispresentation again next year!

An Evening Session was held on the topic ofthe future of specialty roll coaters, coordinatedby John Fenn, Jr. and Roger Phillips. Thissession presented an expert panel’s overview ofthe industry and evoked a lively discussion fromthe audience.

The TechCon and Smart MaterialsSymposium was convened over the course of fourdays, and the challenge for many attendees wasto find time to take advantage of all the manyofferings. The Smart Materials Symposium,organized jointly with Elsevier and the SVC,continued to be well attended. I refer you to thewrite-ups that follow in this Bulletin foroverviews of presentations in the Symposium.

If there were things at the SVC TechConthat you thought worked better than others orthere were things that we missed, please forwardyour input to the SVC. SVC is a nonprofit organi-zation with a goal to provide timely, educational

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value to members. Let us know what we can dobetter! You may be asked to complete a survey bye-mail in the coming months; please take thetime to provide your input. We promise to readall suggestions! Also consider sharing work withothers in the SVC community. It is not too earlyto start thinking about submitting an abstractand making a presentation at the next TechCon.Abstracts are due September 30, 2005.

We look forward to seeing you among thecherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., in 2006! Weexpect another successful gathering, and the SVCProgram Team is already hard at work organizingthe events for the 2006.

Ric Shimshock, MLD Technologies LLC([email protected]), and Ludvik Martinu,École Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada,([email protected]), were the 2005 SVC ProgramChairs.

Emerging Technologies

The Monday afternoon Emerging Technologiesprogram opened with the invited talk by David A.Glocker from Isoflux Incorporated on nanometer-scale TiN particles dispersed in a Mo matrix.Coatings were deposited both by co-sputteringand sputtering from composite targets using acylindrical magnetron sputtering system. ViktorKozlov of Sidrabe, Inc., Latvia, reported onmultilayer deposition of refractory and fusiblemetals and alloys on powder materials.Evaluation of coating thickness uniformity on asingle powder particle as well as on the powdermass was shown. Wei Dong Zhu from StevensInstitute of Technology followed with a presenta-tion on pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering ofTiO2. Time-resolved optical emission spectra of Ti,Ar, and O were correlated to the pulsed plasmaproperties during the deposition. Darren Gardnerfrom Macquarie University, Gladesville, Australia,introduced a new ion beam system in which theanode voltage has a half-wave sinusoidal form.The growth mechanisms of TiN-based hard andsuperhard nanocomposite coatings as investigatedby spectroscopic ellipsometry were presented byLudvik Martinu of École Polytechnique deMontreal. The contribution by Dave Smith fromRestek Performance Coatings featured lowoutgassing silicon-based coatings on stainlesssteel surfaces for vacuum applications. Thecoatings are resilient, inert, and capable ofwithstanding temperatures above 400°C.

On Tuesday afternoon, the session beganwith a presentation by John Petersen from IonicFusion Corporation on nanoparticle impregnationand deposition of catalytic and diffusion barriermaterials, using ionic plasma deposition (IPD).The method provides a uniform coating coverageon the non-line-of-sight surfaces of the metalfoam material. Hana Baránková from UppsalaUniversity discussed PVD of films on ferromag-netic substrates in magnetized plasma systems.

PVD regimes in high-density plasma must beadapted with respect to a prominent contributionof bombardment by energetic particles. MichaelL. Fulton of Ion Beam Optics Inc. introducedspace-based deposition technologies for solarpower and astronomical applications. Twopresentations were devoted to atmosphericpressure plasma and its applications. DanielKaute from Plasma Treat North America Inc.described high-voltage, pulsed DC generatedFLUME plasma systems and their applications forcleaning and activation of metals, glass,ceramics, polymers, and composites and forpolymerization. The FLUME systems allow in-line applications. The atmospheric pressureplasma jet (APPJ) presented by Hans Herrmannfrom APJet, Inc., is used in downstream orremote regimes for surface cleaning, etching,activation, reactive deposition, and plasmapolymerization. The final presentation by HiltonPryce-Lewis of GVD Corporation was devoted topolymer coatings by initiated CVD (iCVD). Theprocess is scalable for large areas and movingweb substrates.

We look forward and welcome you to thenext SVC TechCon “Emerging TechnologiesForum” in Washington, DC, in 2006.

Hana Baránková, Uppsala University, Sweden([email protected]), and Lad Bárdos,Uppsala University, Sweden([email protected]), are the EmergingTechnologies TAC Co-Chairs.

“Heuréka!” Post-DeadlineRecent Developments Session

The 2005 TechCon “Heuréka!” session was againproven to be an important and prestigious forumfor late-breaking results at the SVC TechCon. Itwas accompanied by considerable interest ofconference participants and stimulatingquestions and discussions from the audience.Due to growing interest of authors in presentingtheir recent developments in this forum, thesession program was expanded to two evenings.

The Monday evening program began withthe presentation by Mark George from DepositionSciences, Inc., about improved control of reactivesputtering by means of high-speed mass flowcontrollers. John Arkwright from CSIROdescribed a method for improved Ti filmthickness uniformity in filtered cathodic vacuumarc evaporation by a thin aperture mask in frontof the moving substrate. Wilmert DeBosscherfrom Bekaert explained the basic features of therotating cylindrical ITO targets in the large-areasputtering in comparison with conventionalplanar magnetrons. The last contribution in theMonday evening program was presented by

Ahmet Gun Erlat from General Electric GlobalResearch Center on ultra-high barrier coatings,mainly against oxygen ingress, for flexible organicelectronics where glass is replaced by plasticsubstrates for lightning and other optoelectronicapplications.

The Tuesday evening session began with thepresentation of Russel Jewett from Sencera on anelectrodeless inductively coupled high-densityplasma source (up to 5 x 1012 cm-3) for large areathin-film processing. Peter Hockley from PlasmaQuest Limited described high-density plasmageneration (> 1013 cm-3) and film depositiontechnology with more than 95% target utilizationand ability to sputter from thick ferromagnetics.Abe Belkind from Stevens Institute of Technologypresented an interesting sequence of time-resolved images of the optical emissions frompulsed DC titanium target magnetron plasma.The last contribution in the Tuesday eveningprogram was presented by Sreenivas Kosarajufrom Colorado School of Mines on plasma-assisted co-evaporation for deposition ofchalcocite and nitride thin films using novelinductively coupled plasma source.

The exciting program with new ideas andsolutions made “Heuréka!" evenings in Denver agreat success. We are very grateful to HelixTechnology Corporation for generously sponsoringthe refreshments for these evening sessions. Weare looking forward to next year’s "Heuréka!"sessions at the 2006 TechCon in Washington, DC.

Lad Bárdos Uppsala University([email protected]) and HanaBaránková, Uppsala University([email protected]), are the Heuréka!Co-Chairs

Innovators Showcase

The SVC’s Innovators Showcase has emerged asthe premier venue to introduce new products andservices to the vacuum coating community. Overthe past few years the Innovators Showcase has

SVC TechCon Reportscontinued from page 5

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The SVC TechCon Bookstore allowed attendees topreview books on vacuum coating before ordering.

“SVC was awesome this year, I think.What a great group to be

associated with.”Paul Gagnon, Corning, Inc.

grown in relevance as a vehicle to spread the word quickly and efficiently. This year’s presentations once again raised the bar in terms of quality and

relevance of the subject matter. Special thanks go out to all the participantswho took the time and energy to craft a fascinating roster of presentations. TheAdam’s Mark hotel afforded us ample room and, once again, the SVC A/V staffdid a fabulous job ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

Extending the conference for a day and reducing the number of parallelconference sessions from four to three had a dramatic impact on attendance atthe Innovators Showcase. Most presenters found an audience that exceeded fortyattendees. This is quite a change from the days (which were not all that long ago)where the majority of the attendees were “booth mates” and competitors!

If you are planning to exhibit at the 2006 TechCon in Washington, DC, thena presentation at the Innovators Showcase is a surefire way to increase boothtraffic! Presentations are limited to 10 minutes (plan on using PowerPoint tomaximize the visual impact of the presentation).

Everyone is welcome to participate. All you need to do is submit an abstract,and the SVC’s on-line abstract submission process has made this task easier thanever. Act quickly for we are likely to run short of these presentation slots.

We’re on a roll. Let’s continue our success in Washington, DC next year!See you there!

Frank Zimone, Denton Vacuum LLC ([email protected]) is the InnovatorsShowcase Chair.

Joint Session on Processes, Materials, andSystems for Flexible Electronics and Optics

The program of the Special Joint Session focused already for the third consecu-tive year on a hot topic within the SVC community, namely Flexible Electronicsand Optics. This year, the technical program was organized jointly by the TACChairs of the Optical Coating, Web Coating, Large Area, and Plasma Processingsessions. It represented a set of contributions given by experts from sixdifferent countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, theNetherlands, and the United States. On Tuesday morning, this session,moderated by Ludvik Martinu and Peter Moulds, was introduced by an enlight-ening invited talk by Roger Phillips of Flex Products – a JDS Uniphase Company,on “Using Vacuum Roll Coaters to Produce Anti-counterfeiting Devices.” Hispresentation was highly informative and illustrative, and it dealt with thepresent and future trends, opportunities, and technologies for advanced thinfilm security devices that must become at the same time technologically evermore complex in order to stay ahead of the counterfeiters and simple in order tomake their application economically viable.

The following presentations concentrated on different aspects of thefabrication, processes, materials, and metrology suitable for displays; thisincluded “PECVD Processed Silicon Carbide for Organic Luminescent Devices”by William Weidner (Dow Corning Corp.), “Sputter Deposition of Titanium OxideCoatings for Plasma Display Filters” by Peter Persoone (Bekaert), “Ion-InducedEffects During Reactive Sputtering of ITO Films” by Oleg Zabeida (ÉcolePolytechnique), and “Organic Light Emitting Diode Thin Film StructureCharacterization by Phase Modulated Spectroscopic Ellipsometry” by AlanKramer (Horiba - Jobin Yvon). Numerous presentations dealt with “pushing thelimits” of ultra-barrier coatings both from the fabrication as well as testingpoints. This included “Multilayer Ultra Barrier Coatings for FlexibleElectronics: Looking at the Layers”; “Interphase Development by Means of InSitu Real-Time Studies,” by Mariadriana Creatore (Eindhoven University ofTechnology), “Gas Diffusion Barriers on Polymers Using Al2O3 Atomic LayerDeposition,” by Markus D. Groner (University of Colorado), “StructuralInvestigation of PECVD Moisture Barrier Coatings by Positronium AnnihilationLifetime Spectroscopy,” by Ludmil Zambov (Dow Corning Corporation),“Automatic Permeability Testing: Challenges and Solutions,” by Alyce Hartvigsen(PBI-Dansensor A/S), and “Water Vapor Permeation Testing of Ultra-Barriers:Limitations of Current Methods and Advancements Resulting in IncreasedSensitivity,” by Michelle Stevens (MOCON Inc.). The joint session provided



great merit by attracting a large technicalcommunity around a common hot topic, a factthat largely contributed to an efficient scientificexchange.

We plan to organize new joint sessions atthe 2006 SVC TechCon that would bring togetherexperts from different fields and with differentbackgrounds. Please let us know your commentsand suggestions by contacting Ludvik Martinu orPeter Moulds.

Ludvik Martinu, École Polytechnique, Montreal,Canada ([email protected]), Optical Coating TACChair; Peter J. Moulds, Ursa InternationalCorporation ([email protected]), Vacuum WebCoating TAC Co-Chair; Michael Andreasen, VACT([email protected]); and VasgenShamamian, Dow Corning Corporation([email protected]), Plasma ProcessingTAC Chair, jointly organized this session.

Plasma Processing SessionsPerspective

This year’s Plasma Processing sessions wereagain defined by a wide variety of interesting andexciting topics, as exemplified by our invitedspeakers. Our first invited speaker was PaulGagon (Corning, Inc.), who spoke about the drugdiscovery industry and the role of plasmaprocessing in product development. UlfHelmersson (Linkoping University) kicked off thesession dedicated to high-power impulsemagnetron sputtering (HIPIMS). Our finalinvited speaker, Jurgen Engemann (JE

PlasmaConsult GmbH), discussed atmosphericpressure plasma jets and the very unique “plasmabullet” formation. Our contributed talksrepresented research underway in academic,industrial, and government laboratories aroundthe world. The talks covered a broad range ofplasma sources and technologies used inmaterials processing, including: electron beam-generated plasmas, flowing afterglow plasmas,magnetrons, vacuum arcs, hollow cathodes,inductively coupled plasmas, ion guns, andplasma jets. The sessions were strong in plasmadiagnostics and system characterization, as wellas in situ materials characterization. Diagnostictechniques that were discussed included electro-static probes, energy-resolved mass spectrometry,and optical emission spectroscopy. In situ growthmonitoring using X-ray diffraction and spectro-scopic ellipsometry were discussed also.Common to all presentations was the strongrelationship to processing, covering applicationslike barrier coatings, biocompatible surfaces, andhard coatings on substrates ranging from plasticsto gun barrels.

This year, the Plasma Processing TACestablished a special session on high-powerimpulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), a newand upcoming technology that is attracting agrowing audience, as evidenced by the session’sattendance. The invited talk by Ulf Helmerssonpresented an overview of HIPIMS, illustrating theneed for ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) technologies, introducing the typical

plasma parameters of HIPIMS, and thefundamental properties of films deposited usingthe technique. The session addressed a host oftopics including HIPIMS plasma properties anddischarge temporal evolution using time-resolvedion composition and energy studies.Presentations addressing the deposition rates


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Holger Nörenberg of Technolox Ltd., Oxford, UnitedKingdom, presented in the Vacuum Web Coatingsession at the 2005 TechCon in Denver, CO.

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using both theoretical and experimentalapproaches were given. The upscaling of HIPIMSto industrial scale commercial equipment wasalso demonstrated. The session included threetalks on conventional mid-frequency pulsedsputtering. In those, time-resolved electrontemperature and plasma potential measurementswere discussed, as was the use of powder targetsfor optical materials growth. Based on thesuccess of this year’s HIPIMS session, the PlasmaProcessing TAC is planning to repeat the session

at next year’s TechCon.The breadth and diversity in the content of

this year’s presentations illustrate the constantprogress in plasma processing and the companionevolution in approaches to processing problems.We thank all the presenters for sharing their workand making this another outstanding year! Wehope to continue this tradition next year, with afocus on plasma and ion sources, plasma diagnos-tics, and new techniques.

Scott Walton, US Naval Research Laboratory([email protected]) is the 2006 PlasmaProcessing TAC Chair; and Falk Milde, VON ARDENNEAnlagentechnik GmbH ([email protected]),and Arutiun Ehiasarian, Sheffield-Hallam University,([email protected]), are the Assistant TACChairs.

Large Area Coating

Thanks to all of the presenters who covered abroad range of applications, processes,equipment, and basic improvements intechnology of interest to the Large Area Coatingscommunity during the two Large Area CoatingSessions at the 2005 SVC TechCon. Let memention that many of the presentations werejoint efforts of several companies or institutions.For more information on any of these presenta-tions, consult the Program or Proceedings.

The first session, chaired by MichaelAndreasen, VACUUM COATING Technologies,Inc., was organized around the general topics ofmodeling of sputter erosion and rate enhance-ment, improvements in coating systems andcomponents, and plasma activated E-beamdeposition. Takuji Oyama of the Asahi GlassCompany Research Center led off the sessionwith an invited talk titled “TheoreticalConsiderations of Magnetron Discharges withRespect to Arcing and Plasma Structure in DCand AC Sputtering. He showed how modeling thecomplex phenomena in plasmas could providephysical insights to understanding and optimizingsputter processes. He also showed a hybridmodel simulating the plasma structure of anunbalanced magnetron and a dual magnetronoperated in a bipolar mode. Guy Buyle of GhentUniversity followed with a presentation titled“Monte Carlo Simulation of Anomalous Erosion inLarge Area Sputter Magnetrons” in which heshowed that the increased deposition commonlyoccurring at the ends of linear sputter

magnetrons is due to increased ionization causedby electrons being accelerated from a weaker(turnaround area) to a stronger (middle ofmagnetron) magnetic field.

Next, five presentations were made in theImprovements in Coating Systems andComponents category. Phil Greene, of VACUUMCOATING Technologies, started us off with apresentation titled “Flexibility and ProductivityImprovements in a New Coating System Design,”which showed newly available improvements inflexible, reconfigurable, large area coating systemsrelated to reduced cost of operation and improvedyield. Joern Brueckner, of VON ARDENNEAnlagentechnik, presented a talk titled “AdvancedRotatable Magnetron Module Designed for LargeArea Glass Coaters” in which he showed a newlyavailable rotatable magnetron module with aclosed loop process control system. Krist Dellaert,of Bekaert, presented “Advances in SputterHardware for Rotating Cylindrical MagnetronSputtering” in which he showed seal and powertransmission improvements to end blocks as wellas vertical and cantilevered versions of rotatablemagnetrons for display applications. AnjaBlondeel, of Bekaert, made a presentation titled“Large Area Rotating Magnetron Sputtering:Magnetic System Enhancements” in which sheshowed a newly designed magnet bar that can betuned to improve cross-coater uniformity. ThomasRettich, of Heuttinger Electronic, Inc., discussedpower supply requirements for display applica-tions vs. the better-known architectural applica-tions in his presentation titled “MF and RFSystems for Large Area Glass Coating and FlatPanel Display Applications.” “New Steps TowardLarge Area Plasma Activated EB-PVD” was thetopic presented by Ekkehart Reinhold, of VONARDENNE Anlagentechnik. He discussed electronbeam deposition for large area applications andhow, typically, deposition rates for some materialsare higher for EB, but the layers are more porousand less dense than sputtered films andconsequently have poorer durability and lowerindex. Tomas Nyberg, of Uppsala University, gavethe last presentation of the session, “Modeling of




Mr. Wizard Presentation hadStanding Room Only!

The inaugural presentation of “A VacuumWizard’s Guide to Understanding Vacuum andVacuum Coating” drew a large crowd, withstanding room only for late comers. Theresponse from attendees was enthusiasticand positive.

The presentation was based on anextensive set of table-top demonstrations andvisuals. Familiar everyday objects and activi-ties were used to connect attendees intangible ways with concepts related tovacuum and vacuum coating. Many of thedemonstrations used a transparent vacuumchamber so attendees could “see” the princi-ples of vacuum or vacuum coating in action.The presentation attracted both non-technical and technical attendees. All weredelighted.

Topics included pressure, vacuum,vacuum pumps, vacuum measurement, veryhigh and very low temperatures (as used incoating and pumping), the phase changesthat occur during vacuum coating, and theconcepts of mean free path and impingementrate. The latter concepts were explored inrelationship to sputtering and high rate andlow rate evaporation systems.

Don McClure, of 3M Corporate Research andformer SVC President ([email protected]),was our Vacuum Wizard. Plan on attending nextyear’s offering at the SVC TechCon inWashington, DC.

“Don McClure's “A Vacuum Wizard'sGuide to Understanding Vacuum and

Vacuum Coating” was simply amazing!It brought to life the fundamentals that you

only read about. I now have a clearunderstanding of what's going on

inside that vacuum chamber.Don McClure – you’re the wizard!”

Erica Riley, Schick-Wilkinson Sword

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Anja Blondeel, of Bekaert, showed a newly designedmagnet bar that can be tuned to improve cross-coateruniformity.


Sputter Erosion Rate Enhancement from CeramicTargets.” This presentation proposes aninteresting explanation of why reported depositionrates of oxide materials are much higher fromceramic targets as opposed to reactive depositionfrom metallic targets.

The second session, chaired by JohannesStrümpfel of VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik wasorganized around the general topics of modelingof reactive deposition processes, innovativetarget technologies, conductive films, linear ionsources, and improvements in large area coatingequipment. Professor Roger de Gryse started thesession with an invited talk titled “Aspects of theTarget Voltage Behavior in Reactive Sputtering.”Dr. de Gryse proposes that two processes relatedto poisoning are competing at the target surface:chemisorption and subplantation of reactive gasions. Their impact on target voltage (often usedas an early warning indicator of impending targetpoisoning) is very different and predictable. Amodel was presented in which the target voltageis expressed as the weighted difference betweenthe fraction of the target surface area occupiedby chemisorbed species and the fraction of thetarget surface, which is converted into compoundby ion implantation. Andreas Pflug, of theFraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering andThin Films (Braunschweig), followed with hismodeling presentation titled “Modeling of thePlasma Impedance in Reactive MagnetronSputtering for Various Target Materials.” Hepresents a heuristic model relating plasmaimpedance combined with gas flow simulationand chemisorption models to explain the voltagehysteresis curves of several reacted metal deposi-tion processes, including Zn, Ti, W and Hf. Thelong-term intent of this work is to develop model-based process control for large area coatingsystems. Florian Ruske, of the FraunhoferInstitute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films(Braunschweig), then gave a presentation titled

“Hydrogen Doping of ZnO:Al Films Deposited byPulsed DC Sputtering of Ceramic Targets,” whichdiscussed the addition of hydrogen as a donor toincrease charge carrier concentration in ZnO:Alfilms deposited from relatively inexpensivesintered targets. “New Developments in theManufacturing of Thermal Sprayed CylindricalTargets” were presented by Hilde Delrue, ofBekaert, who compared Sn rotatable targetsmade by standard and improved thermal sprayprocesses to cast Sn targets. The improvedthermal spray process was shown to producetargets with columnar structure, large grain size,low included oxygen and nitrogen content, highdensity and high ductility—very similar to castSn targets. Wolf-Michael Gnehr, of theFraunhofer Institut (FEP), made a presentationtitled “Pulsed Plasmas for Reactive Deposition ofITO Layers” in which he investigates some of thecharacteristics of pulsed packet (DC) sputtering.Monte Carlo simulations show that the pulseparameters (on/off times and pulses perpackage) affect the energy of neutral particlesincident on the substrate and growing film.Denis Shaw, of Advanced Energy Industries, thengave a talk on “Closed Drift Ion Sources for LargeArea Architectural Glass Coating.” Recently,linear ion beam sources have been scaled to sizesappropriate for use in large area coating (up to 4meters in length). This opens up their use forsubstrate pre-cleaning, direct deposition and co-deposition in large area coating equipment. MikePlaisted, of Soleras Ltd., then continued ourmini-session on target technology with a presen-tation titled “Application of HIP (Hot IsostaticPressing) to Rotatable Sputter Targets.” Heshowed how hipped targets are made anddescribed some of the features/benefits of near100% dense targets—minimalcontaminants/atmospheric inclusions, high index,improved heat transfer and increased depositionrate due to increased power handling capability.Next was Mathew Fonte, of Dynamic MachineWorks, Inc., who presented another targetmanufacturing technology that is new to many of

us—flow forming—in a talk aptly titled “Flowformed Rotatable Sputtering Targets.” Hedescribed the technology and its potentialbenefits to manufacturing targets for the largearea coating industry. Michael Geisler, of AppliedFilms GmbH, closed the session with a presenta-tion titled “Latest Progress of Coating Technologyin Architectural Glass Coaters and Applications.”He described a large area coating system usingcantilever rotatable magnetrons and a newmethod of removing the targets.

We would like to thank participants andattendees alike for making this session sosuccessful and informative.

Michael Andreasen, VACUUM COATING Technologies,Inc. ([email protected]), is the Large AreaCoating TAC Chair; Johannes Strümpfel, VONARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbH([email protected]), is theAssistant TAC Chair.

Optical Coating

The 2005 Optical Coating technical programattracted a large number of participants.Important developments in this field and themost recent trends are characterized by thediversification of activities, as illustrated by awide spectrum of topics presented. The programconsisted of presentations divided into twomorning sessions and one afternoon session; inaddition, selected talks were presented as part ofthe joint session that focused on flexible opticsand electronics. Several other activities (such asthe networking breakfasts and lunchtimetutorials) underlined the important role of opticalfilms and coatings in modern technologies.

The first technical session on Mondaymorning highlighted a very important subjectwithin the optical coating community, namely,Advanced Optical Metrology. This topic wasintroduced by David Aspnes, North Carolina StateUniversity, in his invited presentation entitled“Recent Advances in Optical Characterization ofThin Films by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.”Subsequent speakers discussed specific examplesof film analysis by ellipsometry in the context ofsolar selective coatings (John Woollam, J.A.Woollam Co. Inc.), modelling of anisotropicstacks (Alan Kramer, Horiba Jobin Yvon), and insitu real time film growth monitoring comple-mented by dynamic Monte Carlo simulations(Ludvik Martinu, École Polytechnique). Thesetopics were further completed by the analysis ofsensitivity variation during manufacture (DanielPoitras, NRC) and statistical process analysis forreverse engineering (Ian Stevenson, DentonVacuum LLC).

The second optical session on Wednesdayafternoon on “New Optical Materials andProcesses” was introduced by Jacek Wojcik(McMaster University) who focused on"Modelling and Experimental Determination ofthe Optical Properties of Thin Films," with aparticular emphasis on photoluminescence fromSi nano-crystals in silica matrix. Contributed



2005 TechConEducation Program

The highest number of coursesever offered at the SVC 2005TechCon in Denver attractedalmost 300 participants. Therewere 33 courses to choose from. Inaddition to the old favorites, threenew courses were offered:Practical Aspects of PermeationMeasurement, From Polymer Filmsto Ultra-high Barriers; Plasma WebTreatment; and Pulsed Plasma

Processing. All of the new courses were well attended. Planning for 2006 TechCon has alreadybegun. This is a good time for suggesting new courses that you would like to see offered in 2006.Please send your suggestions to the Education Committee Chairs.

S. Ismat Shah, University of Delaware ([email protected]) is the SVC Education Committee Chair, and VasgenShamamian, Dow Corning Corporation ([email protected]), is the Assistant Chair.

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TECHNICALPROGRAM

EXHIBIT &INNOVATORS

SHOWCASE

EDUCATIONPROGRAM

SVC Mission Statement

The Society of VacuumCoaters (SVC) is an interna-tional non-profit organiza-tion dedicated to thedevelopment, application,and advancement ofvacuum coating and relatedtechnologies. SVC’s missionis to foster technicalexcellence by providing aglobal forum in which itinforms and educates itsmembers and the public onall aspects of vacuumcoating.

SVC Mission Statement

The Society of VacuumCoaters (SVC) is an interna-tional non-profit organiza-tion dedicated to thedevelopment, application,and advancement ofvacuum coating and relatedtechnologies. SVC’s missionis to foster technicalexcellence by providing aglobal forum in which itinforms and educates itsmembers and the public onall aspects of vacuumcoating.

2006 SVC Technical ConferenceApr i l 22–27 , 2006 • Marr io t t Wardman Park Hote l , Washington DC

Join us in 2006 for education, innovation andinformation on the vacuum coating industry at the

49th Annual SVCTechnical Conferencein the USA’s Cosmopolitan Capital City.

Showcasing exciting innovations and new technologiesat the only exhibit devoted entirely to vacuumcoating.

Anyone can take advantage of the practical, problem-solving courses developed by theSVC. Taught by some of the most respected professionals in the vacuum coating industry, thesecourses cover every aspect of vacuum coating.

CALL FOR PAPERS for the SVC’s premier information exchange and networking event!Visit www.svc.org to review the 2005 SVC Technical Conference Program, or for moreinformation on submitting your abstract for the 2006 conference.DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

Society of Vacuum Coaters 505/856-7188 Fax 505/856-6716 E-mail [email protected]

www.svc.org

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} FOR INFORMATION ON THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENT!

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presentations in this session discussed differentcomplementary aspects, in particular new andnovel deposition approaches such the end-Hallion source (David Burtner, Veeco Instruments)closed field magnetron sputtering for achievingsuper-smooth metal-oxide films (Michael Walls,Applied Multilayers Ltd.), gridless ion-source forfluoride films (Darren Gardner, MacquarieUniversity), pulsed DC sputtering of niobia (ArnoSchintlmeister, Plansee AG), wear-resistantcoatings on plastics (Stefan Bauer, Schott AG),enhanced performance of high index scandiumoxide films (Guillermo Acosta, Brigham YoungUniversity), and plasmon resonance characteris-tics for biosensors (Ian Stevenson, DentonVacuum LLC).

The third session on Thursday morning wasdevoted to “Advanced Applications of OpticalCoatings” providing a unique set of examplesillustrating recent trends in this area. Thesession was initiated by Joanne Jones-Meehanfrom the Naval Research Laboratory inWashington DC. Her talk entitled “OpticalImmunoassays to Detect Environmental Agentsand Pathogens in Clinical Specimens” introducedthe fast evolving field of biomedical applications.Specific examples include fabrication of coatingsfor extreme ultraviolet (EUV) applications(Cheng-Chung Lee, National Central Universityand Horst Neumann, Leibnitz Institute ofOberflachenmodifizierung), design of nonpolar-izing beamsplitters (Ron Willey, Willey OpticalConsultants), and process optimization involvingrate control (Michael Gevelber, BostonUniversity), uniformity control (John Arkwright,CSIRO), impedance spectroscopy studies ofprotected silver reflectors (Frederic Sabary, CEALe Ripault), and stress reduction in hafnia/silicamultilayers (Doug Smith, Plymouth GratingLaboratories). This session also featured a highlyinteresting student presentation from ÉcolePolytechnique in Montreal, entitled “Playing withLight – The Quest for New Optically VariableDevices” by Bill Baloukas.

The series of traditional networkingbreakfasts is an integral part of the OpticalCoating activities. Apart from the gastronomic

pleasures, these featured discussions on “OpticalMonitoring and Process Control” moderated byRic Shimshock, MLD Technologies (Tuesdaymorning), “N- and P-type Transparent ConductiveCoatings” moderated by Clark Bright, 3MCompany, “Optical Design” moderated by AngusMacleod, Thin Film Center, and “Ion and Plasma-Based Processing for Optical Coatings”moderated by Ludvik Martinu, ÉcolePolytechnique (Wednesday morning). AngusMacleod shared his wisdom with us in hislunchtime tutorial lecture on real-life experiencewith “Optical Coatings and Systems” on Tuesday.

This year’s optical session was verysuccessful and well attended, demonstrating thecontinuous interest of the technical community inthe advancement of this field. In fact, we arealready in the process of preparing the programfor the 2006 TechCon. In this respect, I wouldlike to acknowledge the enthusiasm of IanStevenson from Denton Vacuum LLC, and BryantHichwa from the Sonoma State University, whokindly accepted to act as TAC Co-Chairs of theOptical Coating session for the 2006 conference. Iwish them good luck and ask you to contact themwith your possible comments and suggestions.

(Ludvik Martinu, École Polytechnique([email protected]), was the 2005 Optical CoatingTAC Chair; and George Dobrowolski, retired from theNational Research Council ofCanada([email protected]), was the 2005Optical Coating TAC Assistant Chair.

Plasma Processing of Webs:Session Summary

In addition to our regular sessions, this year thePlasma Processing and Vacuum Web TACs collabo-rated in sponsoring a joint session on PlasmaProcessing of Webs. The session had manyexciting talks discussing the latest research andapplications in high-performance coatings onflexible substrates. Moses David of the 3MCorporation described the film characteristics,methods of plasma deposition, and potential usesfor diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon-dopedDLC in the marketplace. David showed theaudience that DLC is a versatile material withmany superior properties such as high lubricity,corrosion resistance, and high mechanical

toughness. In addition to polymer webs, usingplasma in fluidized beds to coat DLC on particlesand tubular capacitive systems to coat fiber opticsare also possible. Two talks discussed thechemistry, utility, and pitfalls of in-line plasmapretreatment strategies in web coating. PierreFayet of Tetra Pak SA, showed compellingevidence of the deleterious effects and trends ofsize distributions of particles used in theantiblocking layer of commercial polymer webs onthe barrier properties of PECVD ceramic coatingsof polyester webs. Jeremy Grace of the EastmanKodak Company discussed the importance ofplasma/web source design, biasing, and interac-tion and their impact on N-atom uptake kineticsand resulting film nitrogen functional group differ-entiation. Finally, nearly half of the presentationsfeatured new plasma processing strategies usingnonthermal atmospheric pressure discharges.Stuart Leadley of Dow Corning’s Plasma Solutionsand his collaborator Denis Dowling of UniversityCollege Dublin demonstrated a new, scalable,plasma technology, capable of injecting an aerosolinto a discharge. The resulting polymerized filmcoating showed excellent retention of functionalgroup properties such as hydrophobicity orhydrophillicity. We believe atmospheric pressureprocessing reflects an exciting new trend in webcoating, and the Plasma and Web TACs will bepleased to see more involvement of SVC in thisimportant technical area.

Vasgen Shamamian, Dow Corning Corporation([email protected]), was the 2005Plasma Processing TAC Chair; and Peter Moulds, UrsaInternational ([email protected]), is theVacuum Web Coating TAC Co-Chair

Process Control &Instrumentation

The PC&I TAC focuses on the enablingtechniques, instruments, and controls that makethin film coatings possible. This year's TechConsession proved both interesting and informativewith presentations on new approaches to control-ling thin film deposition processes.

We led off our session with our invited talkentitled “Multi-Gas, Multi-Zone ReactiveSputtering Control System,” by Bill Sproul ofReactive Sputtering Consultants LLC. As always,


Bill’s presentation provided valuable insights intoreactive sputtering and possible solutions forcontrolling the complex process behavior.Dermot Monaghan of Gencoa Ltd, presented oursecond talk, “Long-Term Process Control andStability in Reactive Sputtering,” which discussedreactive sputtering control from a differentperspective and offered some additional solutionsfor controlling the process.

Our third presentation, “Pole PiecesInsertion in Target for NiCr MagnetronSputtering: Influence on Plasma and CoatingProperties,” was presented by Corinne Nouvellonof Materia Nova. This presentation discussed howinsertion of ferromagnetic pole pieces in thetarget can improve target efficiency, uniformity,and utilization. Our fourth presentation, “Coatingof Powder Particles in a Magnetron Plasma,” wasgiven by Holger Kersten of INP Greifswald.Instead of the typical view of particles as contam-ination for most thin film processes, this presen-tation reviewed the use of particles as adiagnostic tool and the tailoring of particles forspecific characteristics.

Our next presentation was “SpectroscopicMueller Matrix Polarimeter Using Liquid CrystalDevice Polarization State Generator andDetector,” given by Alan Kramer of Horiba JobinYvon. Alan presented the theory, design, andapplication of a polarimeter based on liquidcrystal devices. Next was a presentation byJurgen Röpcke of INP Greifswald, “On the



At the 48th SVC Annual Technical Conference in Denver an oral history interview with DaleMorton, Denton Vacuum LLC (retired), was conducted by Frank Zimone. A transcript of this

interview will be available on the SVC Web Site soon in the “History” section under “Oral Interviews”at http://www.svc.org/H/H_OralInterviews.html.

The SVC Web Site has an “In Memoriam” section under “About SVC” to recognize the passing ofpeople who were active in the Society of Vacuum Coaters athttp://www.svc.org/AboutSVC/AS_Memoriam.html.

The SVC History Committee has decided that the passing of notables in both vacuum coatingand vacuum technology from outside the SVC should also be noted for future generations.Henceforth, a short biography on people who have been important to the community will be notedunder the “History” button in the “News, Notes, and Comments” section of the Web Site.

The SVC notes the passing of Ron Christy, Tribo Coating, Malibu, CA (1938–2004). Ron was wellknown in the vacuum coating community although he was not active in the SVC. The SVC also notesthe passing of Ronald Philip (Ron) Howson, Loughborough University, UK, on February 28, 2005. Forfurther details on the lives of Ron Christy and Ron Howson please visit the SVC Web Site athttp://www.svc.org/H/H_Notes.html.

The History Committee invites people to add their thoughts in memory of these individuals bysending an E-mail to Don Mattox at [email protected]. The History Committee also solicits informationon any person of note in the vacuum coating community who has died. The History Committee wouldlike to remember them in the most appropriate manner.

The History Committee is creating a book to commemorate 50 years of SVC, both from aperspective of the organization of SVC and the developments of the technologies in which the Societyhas been particularly active. If “old timers” have photos, write-ups, and/or memories to share ofevents that have taken place over the past 48 years, please send these to SVC.

Donald M. Mattox, SVC Technical Director ([email protected]) is Chair of the History Committee; RicShimshock, MLD Technologies LLC ([email protected]) and Dale Morton, Denton Vacuum - retired([email protected]) are the Assistant Chairs of the History Committee.

SVC History Committee News


Application of Quantum Cascade Laser-Absorption Spectroscopy for Plasma ProcessMonitoring.” This presentation discussed theadvantages of a room-temperature quantumcascade laser for use in plasma processmonitoring.

Our next presentation, “True 2-D ImagingSpectroscopy in a Reactive Sputter Process forLarge Scale Optical Glass Coating,” presented byTill Wallendorf of IfU Diagnostic Systems GmbH,discussed the use of this noninvasive techniquefor controlling large-scale optical coating. Nextwas a presentation by Eric Teboul of Horiba JobinYvon on “An Optical Sensor for Real-Time In SituEndpoint Monitoring During Dry Etching of III-VMultistack Layers,” which discussed the use of anIR CCD for end-point detection compared to avisible laser diode.

Our last two presentations dealt with acommon problem, arcing, in DC- and RF-poweredprocesses. Dave Christie of Advanced EnergyIndustries presented “Arc HandlingConsiderations for DC Sputtering PowerSupplies,” and Gideon van Zyl, also of AdvancedEnergy Industries, presented our final talk,“Managing Arcs in RF Powered PlasmaProcesses.” Design considerations for these twotypes of power supplies were reviewed to showhow damage to process products and equipmentcan be minimized.

J. Grant Armstrong, Carberry Technologies,([email protected]) and Dave Chamberlain,MKS Instruments, Inc.([email protected]) are the ProcessControl and Instrumentation TAC Co-Chairs.

Smart Materials Symposium

The Smart Materials Symposium took placeWednesday, April 27. A series of presentationsreported on recent advances on a variety ofmaterials with “smart” features. The flavor wasdefinitely an international one with contributorsfrom Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan,Portugal, Sweden, as well as, naturally, theUnited States. Carl Lampert from Star Sciencegave a general overview of smart materials with afocus on the advances since the time of theprevious SVC Technical Conference.

Large area plastic solar cell modules haveundergone rapid developments during the pastseveral years. Their efficiency is still much lowerthan for silicon solar cells and several of theiralternatives, but the plastic cells give hopes forvery inexpensive manufacturing. Longevity isanother challenge that has to be met before thetechnology is ready for the market. FrederickKrebs from the Risoe National Laboratory inDenmark gave an invited presentation coveringthe state of the art for plastic solar cells modulesand reported on the rapid progress that hastaken place in his own laboratory.

Plastic solar cells, as well as many other

optical and optoelectronic devices, have perform-ances that are critically dependent ontransparent electrically conducting thin films.Dana Olson from the National Renewable EnergyLaboratory gave a talk on this topic, with a focuson nano-structured oxide conductors for plasticsolar cells. Another talk on the same generaltopic was given by Bernd Szyszka from theFraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering andThin Films in Braunschweig, Germany, whoreported on progress on the manufacturing oftransparent and conducting films of ZnO:Al bylarge-area in-line magnetron sputtering.Underlying much of the current work ontransparent conductors is the fact that the mostpopular material, In2O3:Sn (known as indium tinoxide or ITO), has become much more expensiveduring the past few years, and hence the interestin potentially low-cost alternatives is soaring.The reason for the high cost of ITO was discussedat length outside the formal sessions of theSymposium—with no consensus being reached.

Electrochromic devices for architectural“smart windows” have been in the limelight forseveral years. Prototypes and pilot-scale produc-tion has been attempted, but the “smart window”still remains something of the Holy Grail ofarchitecture. Based on many years of R&D, SAGEElectrochromics of Faribault is now ready formarket introduction of roof windows. Neil Sbargave an invited presentation of the work at SAGEand showed performance data illustrating the highdegree of transmittance modulation that can beachieved. Claes Granqvist of Uppsala Universityin Sweden talked about flexible electrochromicfoils, which are now being commercialized byChromoGenics Sweden AB with the object ofimplementing this new technology first inconsumer products and then in the automotiveand architectural markets. Electrochromicdevices were addressed also by Matteo Biancardoof the Risoe National Laboratory in Denmark,whose focus was on wide band gap nano-crystalline semiconductors functionalized withpoly-nuclear mixed valence compounds.

Heat leaks through windows are costly bothin climates requiring heating and requiringcooling. One radical way to improve the thermal

SVC TechCon Reportscontinued from page 9Workshop on the “Past,

Present, and Future ofSpecialty Vacuum Roll Coating”

The concept of holding a workshop reviewingwhere specialty roll coating has been, where itis now, and where it might be headed cameout of a discussion that Roger Phillips andJohn Fenn, Jr. had about a year ago. They bothagreed that it might make an interesting topicat the 2005 SVC TechCon and agreed tocontact various colleagues in the field tocontribute. Our only instructions to themwere that they should be “entertaining, contro-versial, and educational.” It appeared fromthe attendance of over 100 people, lasting wellpast 7 p.m., that the panel successfullyachieved these concepts in their presentations.It could have been the fact that the workshopwas held after the Beer Blast in the Exhibit hallhelped, but this is only speculation.

Roger Phillips and John Fenn, Jr. tried tobring together a wide cross section of peopleinvolved in this field. The panel members wereDon McClure of 3M, Charles Bishop of C.A.Bishop Consultants, Roger Phillips of JDUniphase Flex Products, Bill Kittler of GnomicGroup and Liz Josephson of Applied Films.These participants ranged from large corpora-tions and entrepreneurial-based companies toequipment manufacturers. While theiropinions on where specialty vacuum rollcoating is currently and where it might beheaded were diverse and made for some livelydiscussion, some common themes could beextracted.

The first theme was that in the future,the trend would be toward more narrow widthvacuum flexible roll coating equipment thatwill be used to develop and introduce newspecialty roll coatings. The future marketswhere specialty roll coating will probably beinitially applied will start out as niche markets,requiring custom coatings with more rapidturnaround and relatively small volumes. Afterall, a large volume coater requires “a lot ofhay” to keep it going economically. Secondly,the impact of the available substrates on themarket would be significant. The surfaces ofthese substrates will have to be significantlyimproved. Whether this has to be performedonline in the vacuum coater or can be doneoffline is still a major question. Finally, thetheme of combining multiple functions in onevacuum coater was strongly debated.

The Workshop appeared to be wellaccepted at the TechCon. Both Roger Phillipsand John Fenn, Jr. enjoyed the exercise ofputting it together and look for other topicsthat lend themselves to such an exercise.

John Fenn, Jr., Fennagain,([email protected]), and Roger Phillips, JDUniphase ([email protected]), were theWorkshop Organizers.

The 2005 SVC TechCon attracted 1,355 attendees andhas been labeled one of the best ever.

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insulation is to avoid conduction and convectionin a double-glazed construction by removing theair. Clearly such “vacuum windows” need spacersin order not to implode—spacers that should besmall enough not to obstruct the view. Vacuumwindows were the subject of two presentationsfrom the University of Sydney in Australia.Nelson Ng reported on ways to characterize thethermal insulation properties and Lai Sodiscussed how to apply advanced surface analyt-ical techniques to the internal glass surfaces.

Photo-catalytic surface coatings attractmuch interest today. Such coatings can be self-cleaning under irradiation because the lightimpinging on such a surface tends to breakchemical bonds and therefore remove organicmaterial that otherwise may stick to the surface.Reactive sputtering for depositing photo-catalytic TiO2 coatings on glass was discussed byCarlos Tavares from Universidade do Minho inPortugal. A disadvantage with pure TiO2 is thatit only works efficiently with ultraviolet light,and it is clearly of interest to extend to spectralresponse so that it includes visible light. Apresentation by Joaquim Carneiro, also ofUniversidade de Minho, showed how Fe dopingcan be used to extend the response for TiO2-based coatings applied to plastics.

Application of smart materials to artificialorgans is a subject of much interest worldwide.Peter Martin from Pacific Northwest NationalLaboratory in Richland (WA) discussed oxygengeneration and biocompatibility aspects of a

photolytic artificial lung device. This workrepresents a major effort and includesresearchers also at the University of Pittsburgh,the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, theMassachusetts Institute of Technology inCambridge, and Pharos LLC in Waltham.

Presentations were also given by SatoshiTakeda from Asahi Glass Co. in Yokohama, Japan,on characterization of oxygen in diverse oxidematerials by using 18O2 gas, and by Mark Georgefrom the University of Colorado in Boulder onatomic layer deposition on polymers.

The Smart Materials Symposium was wellattended, and there were lively discussions on anumber of scientific and technical matters. TheSymposium was no doubt a success thanks to thespeakers and the lively audience—and alsothanks to organizers who were able to overcome

a number of hurdles at the very last moment.

Claes G Granqvist, Uppsala University, Sweden ([email protected]) is a member of theSmart Materials Symposium Organizing Committee.

Tribological & DecorativeCoating

This year’s SVC conference exhibited a veryexciting and well-balanced program onTribological & Decorative Coatings. The sessionswere very well attended and offered interestingpresentations from various speakers fromindustry and universities.

The Monday morning session opened withtalks on fundamental research on tribologicalcoatings. The invited presentation from JimMoore of Colorado School of Mines opened the


The 2005 TechCon featured morepresentations than ever before!

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Each year the Society of Vacuum Coaters presents the Nathaniel SugermanAward and up to three Mentor Awards to individuals who have madeoutstanding contributions to the SVC or to vacuum coating technology.

The Sugerman Award commemorates the enduring efforts of NatSugerman in founding, nurturing, and supporting the Society of VacuumCoaters. It recognizes significant contributions in one or more of thefollowing areas: distinguished service to the SVC, outstanding technicalachievement, noteworthy educational contributions to the vacuum industry,or creative innovation in the development of a product or process pertainingto the vacuum industry. The Mentor Award recognizes those who have madeor are making significant contributions to the SVC and the industry by theirexample and guidance of others. The Mentor Award may be posthumous.Nominations are solicited from the membership, and the Awards Committeeselects the recipients based on the supporting information. The presenta-tions are made annually at the business meeting during the TechCon.

The 2005 Sugerman Award was presented to Jerzy (George)Dobrowolski. George is a major figure in optical coatings and his associationwith the National Research Council of Canada, where he spent much of hiscareer, which is now in its 50th year. Among George’s many significantcontributions is the idea to use the iridescence of optical coatings as ananticounterfeiting device. George worked with the Bank of Canada toperfect this technique, which inspired the invention of the color-variablepigment in wide use today. In 1965 George also published the first accountof the use of computer synthesis in the design of optical coatings. Georgehas many prestigious awards to his name and has written a large number ofbook chapters, papers, and patents. He teaches a thin film optics course forthe SVC and serves on the Optical TAC.

The 2005 recipients of the Mentor Awards were Rainer Ludwig, LudvikMartinu, and Carlo Misiano.

Rainer Ludwig is the Sales and Marketing Manager for all special webcoating systems at Applied Films, where he just celebrated his 20th anniver-sary. His work in heat transfer kinetics and the transport of polymeric filmshas been instrumental in the design of equipment for applications such asthe roll-to-roll coating of transparent conducting oxides and transparentbarriers on polymer films. He has published a large number of papersrelated to sputtering and electron beam technology, many of which have

been presented at the SVC TechCons. He holds several patents related tocoatings and coating equipment. He has been an active member of SVCsince 1994 and has participated on the Web TAC and assisted in getting moreEuropean presentations and participation at TechCon.

Ludvik Martinu is Professor and Head of the Department ofEngineering Physics at École Polytechnique de Montréal, where he has beensince 1988. His main research interests are the physics and technology ofthin films, specifically new plasma-based fabrication processes, materials,characterisation techniques, and process control for optical and functionalcoatings, hard films, and thin film photonic devices. He is founder anddirector of the Functional Coating and Surface Engineering Laboratory andof the Laboratory for Optical and Mechanical Metrology at ÉcolePolytechnique and author and co-author of more than 230 publications, fivepatents, and numerous invited lectures. He has been very active in the SVC,where he serves on the Board of Directors and as Assistant Program Chair,Optical TAC Chair, and Chair of the Student Sponsorship Committee.

Carlo Misiano served for many years as the director of CeTeV, aresearch and development institute near Rome. He has made a greatnumber of significant contributions over the entire field of coatings, fromweb and packaging to precision optics. He is widely respected and has beena regular contributor to the SVC for many years. He recently retired fromCeTeV and now operates a small independent research laboratory, RomanaFilm Sottili, which is involved in a variety of research projects. In 1994 hecreated a series of bi-yearly conferences in Italy, the Symposium of EuropeanVacuum Coaters, which he still organizes. Not only is Carlo a major figure inthin films but he writes and publishes poetry in the Roman dialect, is anaccomplished musician, a classical scholar, and has written and directed anumber of theatrical plays.

The Sugerman and Mentor Awards provide SVC members with anopportunity to recognise those who have contributed to our Society and ourtechnology. Soon, the Awards Committee will be soliciting nominees for the2006 awards. Please take the opportunity to recommend those whom youbelieve have made a difference.

David Glocker, Isoflux Incorporated ([email protected]) is the SVC AwardsCommittee Chair.

SVC Honors Excellence and Contribution

session. In his talk on nanostructured coatings,Moore showed a systematic investigation,wherein coatings containing Ti-B-C-N wereproduced using unbalanced magnetronsputtering and pulsed bias. By varying processparameters, he showed the influences on thecoating hardness (up to 40 GPa) friction coeffi-cient as well as the H/E (Hardness/ElasticModulus) ratio. Another presentation from theColorado School of Mines was made by JenniferAnton, who investigated the influence of thesubstrate position of sputtered TiC films.Variations in deposition rate, mechanical proper-ties, and structure of the coatings as function ofdistance and angle of incidence were discussed.Gary Doll, of the Timken Company, held a talk onthe behavior of rolling element bearings withtribological coatings. He addressed theimportance of life-time investigations under lowlubrication situations, which cannot be preventedin engine applications. An important examplewas shown to be in aerospace applications, butsimilar situations, though less critical, occur also

in engines used daily. Coatings are playing amajor role in the lifetime of critical, high-reliability engine and driving parts. Anotherapplication-oriented talk came from André Hiekeof Ionbond, who discussed PVD/PECVD combina-tion processes, where comparisons were made onthe properties of WCC-DLC coatings producedwith MF-PVD/PECVD processes and pure PECVDcoatings produced with RF. The talk by MarkusEsselbach of Balzers addressed machine-relatedeffects of upscaling a DLC process. He showedthat by using a bigger machine size, the cost perpart is reduced. The effects of upscaling onetching uniformity and DLC layer uniformitywere presented.

The sessions on Tuesday addressed processresearch, coatings for tools, and decorativecoatings. The morning session began with aninvited talk from Jan-Dirk Kamminga of theNetherlands Institute for Metal Research inDelft, who showed the properties, especially theperformance with respect to adhesion, of hardcoatings produced with the Nitrocoat process.This is a duplex process that combines plasmanitriding with in situ coating. Guido Janssen ofDelft University talked about a model explaining

the tensile and compressive stress in hard films.His model explains the existence of a stressgradient in the film from tensile at the interfaceto compressive at the top of the film. AldersonNeira from University del Valle in Santiago deCali (Colombia) discussed the application of PVDhard coatings on HSS tools. Coatings improvedthe cutting performance of circular paper cuttingknives with respect to the lifetime of the knives.Coatings enabled higher throughput in thisapplication. A major quality achievement of thiscoating application was the decreased cuttingedge roughness as well. Papken Hovsepian ofSheffield-Hallam University presented results ofTiAlN/VN superlattice coatings in machiningaerospace and automotive Al and Ti alloys. Thiscoating shows superhardness (46 GPa) and lowfriction due to the formation of lubriciousvanadium oxides, resulting in low cutting forcesand therefore low surface roughness in cuttingoperations on the aforementioned alloys. RaviLakkaraju of the University of Nebraskacontinued with a more fundamental modellingstudy. In his talk, finite element calculations foroptimization of wear-resistant multilayered thinfilms were presented. The stress-strain behavior



within the individual layers of the multilayered coating is used to optimize thethickness of each individual layer. Reliable predictions will save cost in thecoating design. First results of the calculations were verified empiricallyagainst coatings produced. Jolanta Klemberg-Sapieha of the ÉcolePolytechnique in Montreal talked about the standardization project on hardnessmeasurements the university is involved in. This international project (VAMAS)deals with standardization of characterization techniques, especially hardnessmeasurements, for superhard coatings (hardness values exceeding 40 GPa).The presentation initiated a lively discussion, emphasizing the existence of aneed for good material analysis methods.

The invited paper for Papken Hovsepian was the start of the decorativecoating presentations. This presentation was a joint paper from Hauzer andSheffield-Hallam University. Hovsepian talked about progresses in large-scalemanufacturing of decorative PVD coatings, which assumed large proportionssince the last decade due to the use of high-volume batch coaters leading to lowcoating cost per part, produced by arc as well as sputtering technology. Plasticsas well as metals can be coated with short cycle time and in a wide color range.Developments in Sheffield have led to the introduction of combined PVD sputtercoating and subsequent anodizing of Nb, which makes it possible to producehigh quality, biocompatible color finishes based on optical interference effects.Vasco Teixeira from the University of Minho in Portugal, initiator of the PVD-forum on the Internet, talked about decorative Ni and Cr-based PVD coatingsdeposited by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. He presentedinfluences of different parameters on the microstructure and surface roughnessfor low temperature sputtered metal coatings on plastics, serving as an interfacefor subsequent colored hard coatings. Pedro Carvalho, a student from theUniversity of Minho, gave a presentation on structural, electrical, mechanical,and optical characterization of zirconium oxynitride coatings. The Spanishcompany AIN, represented by José Garcia, made a presentation on decorativeinterference coatings produced with arc technology, enabling a new range ofcolors. Analysis results of thickness measurements with GDOES (GlowDischarge Optical Microscopy) were related to spectrometric color measure-ments to show the relation between wavelength of the color and thickness ofthe oxide layer. The sessions were closed with a presentation by Roel Tietemafrom Hauzer. The range of TiCN-based colors that can be achieved withsputtering and arc evaporation was addressed. It has been shown that bothtechnologies will give similar colors, but because of cost, arc technology issuperior for this application.

Roel Tietema, Hauzer Techno Coating b.v., The Netherlands ([email protected]), is theTribological and Decorative Coating TAC Chair; Gary Doll, Timken Research([email protected]), is the Assistant TAC Chair.

Vacuum Web Coating

This year there were two sessions of presentations dedicated solely to VacuumWeb Coating along with other web coating presentations in the joint sessions onProcesses, Materials & Systems for Flexible Electronics & Optics and alsoPlasma Processing of Webs.

The first of these two sessions was opened with talks describing equipmenton the latest multiprocess roll-to-roll web coater from Applied Films andfollowed by a description of the use of dual magnetrons as a plasma source in aplasma-enhanced CVD process from the Fraunhofer Institute (FEP) in Dresden.A talk from C.A. Bishop Consulting & McCann Science was then presented thatdescribed the modelling of the changes to be expected in heat transfer coeffi-cient when gas is introduced between the drum and web. The latter half of thesession was filled with presentations relating to transparent barrier typecoatings and the measurement of them. This topic remains of great interest

because of both the difficulty of producing the best of the barriercoatings and also the challenge of measuring them. The first of thesewas about the outgassing and permeation studies of polymer substratesand barrier films from Technolox Ltd. We then had two most welcomepapers from Japan. A presentation on the new development of heatsterilization durable SiOx vacuum coated film from Mitsubishi Plasticswas followed by a second presentation on water vapor permeation studiesof metal oxide/polymer coated plastic films from Toyobo C. Ltd.

The second session got off to a great start with a presentation byAWA BV that put some of the markets in perspective on the developmentof global markets for vacuum coated films and papers. This presentationalso highlighted, a fact we often neglect: just how much coating is doneonto substrates other than polymer webs? This was followed by anexcellent presentation from one of the SVC sponsored students on theinfluence of the polyester substrate on the structure and performance ofvacuum deposited coatings. We then returned to the topic of permeationstudies of multilayer films from Oxford University. We then had a changeof emphasis with copper on polyimide films by vacuum web sputteringsystem for tape carrier package from Toray Saehan Inc from S. Korea. Tofinish off the session, a presentation came from NREL on the durabilityand cost analysis of solar reflective hard-coat materials deposited byIBAD. For those of us that have watched the progress of this topic foryears, this was the great news that finally the problems seem to be solvedand a process chosen that can meet all the requirements for thiscomplex multilayer product and production can finally begin.

So once again we had a good mix of presentations with a slight focuson the hot topic of the age: how to produce and measure barrier coatings,which is very likely to remain of interest at the TechCon next year.

Charles A. Bishop, C.A. Consulting Ltd. ([email protected]) isthe Vacuum Web TAC Co-Chair; Peter Moulds, Ursa International Corporation([email protected]) is the Vacuum Web TAC Co-Chair (outgoing); andGregory Tullo, Arcotronics-Aerre Machines ([email protected]) is theVacuum Web TAC Co-Chair (incoming).

“Overall the show was excellent, very well organized.Everything seemed seamless from our side, though I knowit is not that easy. Thanks for all the efforts by you and

your staff. This was the best organized show yet.”John Madocks, General Plasma, Inc.

Introduction

Since John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain invented the world’s first transistor in 1947,inorganic field-effect transistors have dominated the mainstream microelectronics industry. They arethe fundamental building blocks for basic analytical circuits (such as amplifiers) as well as the keyelements for digital combinational logic circuits (such as adders, shifters, inverters, and arithmetic logicunits), and are used to build sequential logic circuits (such as flip-flops). Moreover, transistors areessential to the modern memory devices, integrated circuits, and microprocessors used in personalcomputers and laptops.

Organic thin film field-effect transistors (OTFTs) are particularly interesting, as their fabricationprocesses are much less complex compared to conventional Si technology, which involves high tempera-ture and high vacuum deposition processes and sophisticated photolithographic patterning methods. Ingeneral, low temperature deposition and solution processing can replace more complicated processesinvolved in conventional silicon technology. In addition, the mechanical flexibility of organic materialsmakes them naturally compatible with plastic substrates for light-weight and foldable products. Sincethe report of the first organic field-effect transistor in 1986 [1], there has been great progress in boththe materials performance and development of new fabrication techniques. OTFTs have already beendemonstrated in promising applications such as electronic papers [2-4], sensors [5,6], and memorydevices such as radiofrequency identification (RFID) cards [7,8]. Although OTFTs are not meant toreplace conventional inorganic TFTs—(due to the upper limit of their switching speed), they have greatpotential for a wide variety of applications, especially for new products that rely on their unique charac-teristics, such as electronic newspapers, which can be bent and folded, inexpensive smart tags forinventory control, and large-area flexible displays.

This talk describes the basic materials requirements and fabrication methods for building thesedevices, and discusses the related technical issues and challenges. Promising applications of OTFTs arealso discussed.

Operation and Materials

An OTFT is analogous to its inorganic counter-part in basic design and function. It is a three-terminal device, in which a voltage applied to agate electrode controls current flow between asource and drain electrode under an imposedbias. A basic schematic is shown in Figure 1,where Vg and Vds are the applied gate and source-drain voltages, respectively. The control ofsource-drain current in field-effect transistors viaa third terminal has resulted in their widespreaduse as switches. Their utility in this capacity isgauged by several key measures of their perform-ance. The mobility, µ, describes how easilycharge carriers can move within the active layerunder the influence of an electric field, and istherefore directly related to the switching speedof the device. This parameter can be extractedfrom current-voltage measurements, and wouldideally be as large as possible. Typical valuesrange from 0.1–1 cm2/Vs for amorphous-Si (�-Si)devices, with the best organic materials achievingmobilities of 1–10cm2/Vs [9,10]. The on/off ratio,defined as the ratio of the current in the “on” and“off” states, is indicative of the switchingperformance of OTFTs. A low off current isdesired to eliminate leakage while in the inactivestate. Ratios as high as 106, suitable for mostapplications, can be reached by current-genera-tion OTFTs [11-12].

In an organic transistor, the active layer is

comprised of a thin film of highly conjugatedsmall molecules or polymers, such as p-channel[13-15], pentacene [9,16], �-sexithiophene (�-6T) [17], and poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) [18-21], or n-channel [22-25], BBL [26,27], and F16-CuPc [28]. In contrast to the inorganicmaterials, organics pass current by majoritycarriers, and an inversion regime does not exist.This fundamental difference is related to thenature of charge transport in each of thesesemiconductors. In well-ordered inorganics (e.g.,single-crystal silicon), the delocalization ofelectrons over equivalent sites leads to a band-type mode of transport, with charge carriersmoving through a continuum of energy levels inthe solid. In less-ordered, organic materials, theproposed mechanism is hopping betweendiscrete, localized states of individual molecules.The presence of impurities or inconsistencies instructure may result in “traps” that alter therelative energy levels and inhibit the flow ofcharge carriers. The complexities of current flowin organic materials, which are still poorlyunderstood, have added another dimension to thedevelopment of the devices that incorporatethem. In addition to the challenges presented byfabrication, particular attention must be paid tothe design of materials that will meet theperformance demands of the OTFT in its parentapplications. This aspect of development hasreceived much attention and will continue to playan important role as the technologies progress.


Organic Materials and Processes for the Fabrication ofElectronic Devicesby Zhenan Bao, Colin Reese, Mark Roberts, and Mang Mang LingDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Keynote presentation on April 25, 2005, at the 48th SVC TechCon in Denver, CO

The limitations of current organic technolo-gies are clearly posed by the performance andprocessability of the active layer component. Inaddition to meeting benchmarks for performancecriteria such as mobility and on/off ratio, activelayer materials should ideally be easy to process,mitigating potential fabrication challenges, andhave long-term stability for device longevity. Thishas proven to be a difficult balance. The organicspossessing the best electronic characteristics todate, small molecules such as pentacene [16,29],and �-6T [17], are insoluble and thereforedifficult to process. Efforts to solubilize thesematerials have included the incorporation ofside-chains, such as the addition of alkyl groupsto polythiophene polymers. The size [30], type[31], and regioregularity [20,21] of these groupshave been explored extensively, with the goal ofelectronic property optimization. From thesestudies, additional insight has also been gainedregarding the relationships between morpholog-ical characteristics and charge transport. Thenature of substituents, chain length, andprocessing conditions all affect the packingstructure in the films, which is reflected in theelectronic properties. For example, differencesin regioregularity in poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) samples have been shown to causedistinctly different orientations relative to thesubstrate [32]. Clearly, many factors are at playwhen active materials do not exhibit the order ofsingle-crystals, and the various effects have yet tobe deconvoluted. Recent reports of mobilities upto 35cm2/Vs for high-purity pentacene singlecrystals [29], however, give hope that furtherinvestigation will continue to pay off for organicsemiconductors.

Device Design and FabricationAs previously mentioned, the OTFT inherits

its design architecture from its inorganiccounterpart, namely, the metal-oxide-semicon-ductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). It iscomposed of three main components: source,drain, and gate electrodes; a dielectric layer; andthe active semiconductor layer. Within the basicMOSFET design, there are two types of deviceconfiguration: top contact and bottom contact.

Figure 1. Schematic structure of a thin film transistor.


The former involves building source and drain electrodes onto a preformedsemiconductor layer, whereas the latter device is constructed by depositingthe organic over the contacts. Their schematic structures are illustrated inFigure 3. Top contact devices have been reported to have superior perform-ance for certain organic semiconductors compared to their bottom contactcounterparts. It has been suggested that this is due to reduced contactresistance between the electrode and the organic layer, due to an increase inthe area for charge injection [33]. Each of these devices poses particularadvantages and disadvantages in the fabrication process, which will bediscussed below.

Deposition of thin film organic semiconductor layers is primarilyperformed through vapor or solution phase processes. Vacuum deposition isused for small molecules and oligomers. It is somewhat costly because ofexpensive equipment and low deposition throughput, but produces films withhigh field-effect mobility and on/off ratios. Examples of organic semicon-ductor films that have been deposited in this manner are oligothiophene andoligofluorene derivatives [12,34-36], metallophthalocyanines [15,37], andacenes (pentacene and tetracene) [38-42]. OTFT device performance canbe improved by controlling the deposition rate and temperature, whichaffect the morphology of the semiconductor. Modification of the interfacebetween the substrate and the organic layer and post-deposition treatments,such as annealing, also improve molecular ordering.

For solution-soluble organic semiconductors, two forms of depositionare available: deposition of a soluble precursor from a solution andsubsequent conversion to the final film [43-47], and direct deposition fromsolution. The motivation to use soluble precursors is that most conjugatedoligomers and polymers are insoluble in common solvents unless side chainsubstitutions are incorporated into the molecular structures. The addition ofside chains can interfere with molecular packing or increase the stackingdistance between molecules, decreasing mobility, but when used properlycan be incorporated to promote better molecular packing, such as in thecase of regioregular poly(hexylthiophene). Determining the processingtemperature can be challenging, however, because the conversion tempera-ture from precursor to semiconductor may be too high for compatibility with

low-cost plastic substrates. Furthermore, the precursor conversion requiresan additional processing step.

Spin-coating and solution casting are two popular ways for directsolution deposition, which is often used for polymers such as regioregularpoly(3-hexylthiophene) [21,32] or various soluble oligomers [48-50]. Post-processing treatments, such as thermal annealing, improve molecularordering and grain sizes of the thin film and frequently result in betterdevice performance. It is often difficult, however, to purify the polymers andachieve good molecular ordering over large area substrates. Another majorconcern for solution processing methods is the effect of the solvent onunderlying organic features, requiring chemically compatible materials. Forthis reason, dry processing methods are being developed. Generally, it is

Figure 2. Prominent organic semiconductor materials.



important to consider the organic solutionconcentration and solubility, solvent evaporationrate, and substrate surface. Because of theireffect on the quality of the resulting semicon-ductor film, these processing parameters shouldbe carefully controlled. High mobilities havebeen reported with several oligomers byoptimizing the deposition conditions [48,50,52].

Dielectric films are fabricated in a similarmanner as the semiconductor layer. Examples ofvacuum-deposited dielectrics include silicondioxide [39] and parylene [53]. An example of asolution-processed dielectric layer is poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) [54], which is deposited byspin-coating, and then cross linked at 200°C.

Patterning is a crucial part of the fabrica-tion of OTFTs. The organic semiconductor mustbe confined to the channel region to eliminateparasitic leakage and reduce cross talk in orderto achieve better device performance such ason/off ratio [55]. The drain, source, and gateelectrodes need to be patterned with feature sizeappropriate for the application. Typically, thesmaller the distance between the drain andsource electrode (channel length), the higher thecurrent output, and the faster the transistorswitching speed. The following will discuss sometypical patterning methods used for OTFTfabrication. The most desirable methods involvedirect printing of the active materials, in whichthe patterning and deposition are carried out inone single step. Such methods provide thepossibility of processing over a large area,increasing production throughput and thereforereducing the cost per device [30].

Optical lithography is a well-developedconventional technique for the patterning ofmesoscopic features and components formicroelectronic and photonic devices [56]. Inthis process, geometric shapes from a mask aretransferred to a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer),enabling patterning of the active materials andelectrodes. Both metal and conducting polymerelectrodes can be fabricated using standardphotolithography followed by lift-off [12,57].Conducting polymer electrodes also have beenpatterned by light exposure to change its conduc-tivity without having to remove the polymer inthe channel region [3,47]. Although opticallithography can achieve 100 nm resolution, it is arelatively expensive process. This method also isless suitable for the patterning of organicsemiconductors because exposure of organicsemiconductors to solvents and etchant tends tocause degradation to their device performance.

Screen printing involves squeezing aspecially prepared ink through a screen maskonto a substrate surface to form a desiredpattern. This method is capable of printing allthe active components in OTFTs [58], but haslimited feature size resolution (75 µm or larger).Components of OTFTs also can be deposited

using ink jet printing, which is similar to theoperation of a conventional ink-jet printer, butuses specially formulated inks [59,60].Resolution on the order of 25 µm can be achievedwithout surface modifications, while hydrophobicdewetting patterns [61] can be used to obtainresolutions approaching 200 nm. An additive dryprinting method [51] for depositing conductingpolymers has been developed using a thermal(laser) imaging technique for the ablativetransfer of a patterned layer onto a flexiblereceiver layer with resolution down to 5 µm. Thiscan be used to process successive layers withoutuse of a solvent that could degrade theunderlying organic layers.

Soft lithography encompasses a widevariety of patterning techniques in which amaster structure is fabricated in a material, suchas silicon, by conventional lithographic processesand then used to make elastomeric replicas in amaterial such as poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS). In microcontact printing, elastomericstamps are used for molecular transfer toproduce a contact-induced chemical modifica-tion of a surface [62-64]. The chemical modifi-cation can produce hydrophobic and hydrophilicpatterns, allowing for selective solution phasedeposition of the organic semiconductor.Alternatively, an alkanethiol protecting layer canbe microcontact printed on Au or Ag to preventthe metal underneath from being etched away toform electrode patterns [2]. In soft lamination,source and drain electrodes are deposited onone substrate, then laminated onto anothersubstrate that already contains the gate, dielec-tric, and semiconductor, thus completing thetransistor [65].

Applications

Organics have long been attractive for use inelectronics, due to their light weight, flexibility,and low cost compared to their silicon counter-parts. The recent increases in performance,however, have rapidly expanded OFETs fromniche markets, making them targets for a widerrange of applications.

Hand-held devices (cell phones, PDAs, etc.)with ultra thin displays can achieve higherresolution and information content, while newtechnology, such as flexible displays and e-paper,are potentially revolutionary advancements.Integrated smart pixels with an OTFT switchingan OLED pixel have been demonstrated, eventhough actual OTFT active matrix OLED displaysare yet to be demonstrated [19,20,66,67].

An alternative to active-matrix flexibledisplays is an innovative example by E-inkutilizing an OTFT backplane with a laminatedelectronic ink frontplane, consisting of a layer ofelectrophoretic microcapsules on a transparentelectrode [68,69]. The OTFT backplane controlsthe contrast of the display by moving chargedblack and white pigments to the transparentlayer. Building upon the basic OTFT component,CMOS technology now shows promise in organicsemiconductors with the ready availability ofboth n-channel and p-channel semiconductorsand recent discoveries of ambipolar functionality,where a single semiconductor layer is capable ofconducting both electrons and holes, enablingthe design of robust circuitry with low heatdissipation [39,70]. This ambipolar behavior hasbeen realized for an n-type and p-type polymerdispersed layer, and for a single organic materialwith a low bandgap, and thus a low barrier forelectron and hole injection [71,72].

RFID cards are made possible with thepreviously described circuitry for applicationsinvolving identification, verification, andtracking. Tasks similar to inventory managementcan be immensely simplified exploiting a systemof many transponder circuits with a singlereading instrument [73]. Other low-resolutionapplications involving logic functions, like smartcards, or mass producible, disposable sensors arealso made possible [8].

Summary

In summary, the physical properties and relativelyfacile processing of organic materials allow forthe demonstration of flexible, low cost, large areadevices using OTFTs. Advancements in fabrica-tion methods and the development of higher-performance semiconductor materials have bothimproved existing technology and expanded thescope of potential realizable applications. Muchof this progress has been due to the deduction ofstructure-property relationships of the activelayer component. Molecular tuning based on thisunderstanding has yielded materials with betterelectronic properties and simplified process-ability. The discovery of ambipolar functionality

Organic Materials andProcessescontinued from page 21

Figure 3. Top and bottom contact OTFT architectures.


of organic materials has increased OTFT versatility, enabling their incorporationin complementary logic devices. The numerous applications presented thus farhave already showcased their potential and will continue to grow. Whilechallenges exist for large-scale manufacturing, their rapid development showsgreat promise for their future in plastic electronics.

References1. Tsumura, A., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1986) 49, 12102. Rogers, J.A., et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA (2001) 98, 48353. Gelinck, G.H., et al., Nature Mater. (2004) 3, 1064. Sheraw, C.D., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2002) 80, 10885. Zhu, Z.T., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2002) 81, 4643 6. Crone, B.K., et al., J. Appl. Phys. (2002) 91, 101407. Voss, D. Nature (2000) 407, 4428. Baude, P.F. et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2003) 82, 39649. Kelley, T.W. et al., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. (2003) 771, L6.5.110. Sundar, V.C. et al., Science (2004) 303, 164411. Dimitrakopoulos, C.D., et al., Adv. Mater. (2002) 14, 9912. Kagan, C. R., Thin Film Transistors, Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, (2003)13. Zhang, J., et al., App. Phys. Lett. (2004) 84(1), 14214. Yuan, J.F., et al., App. Phys. Lett. (2003) 82(22), 396715. Bao, Z., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1996) 69, 306616. Lin, Y., et al., IEEE Ed. (1997) 44(8), 132517. Katz, H.E., J. Mater. Chem. (1997) 7(3), 36918. Park, S.Y., et al., IEEE Trans Electron Dev. (2002) 49(11). 200819. Li, Z.L., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2004) 84(18), 355820. Sirringhaus, H., et al., Science (1998) 280, 174121. Bao, Z., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1996) 69, 410822. Malenfant, P.R.L. et al., App. Phys. Lett. (2002) 80, 251723. Katz, H.E. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2000) 122, 778724. Laquindanum, J.G. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1996) 118, 1133125. Faschetti, A., et al., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. (2003) 769, 37526. Babel, A. et al., Adv. Mater. (2002) 14, 37127. Babel, A. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2003) 125, 1365629. Bao, Z. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1998) 120, 20730. Jurchescu, Oana D., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2004) 84, 306131. Bao, Z., et al., J. Mater. Chem. (1999) 9, 189532. Bao, Z., et al., Chem. Mater. (1999) 11, 260733. Sirringhaus, H., et al., Nature (1999) 401, 68534. Roichman, Y., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2001) 80(1), 15135. Mushrush, M., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2003) 125, 941436. Katz, H.E., et al., Acct. Chem. Rev. (2001) 34, 359 37. Hong, M., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2001) 123, 921438. Bao, Z., et al., Adv. Mater. (1997) 9, 4239. Kelly, T.W., et al., J. Phys. Chem. B (2003) 107, 587740. Klauk, H., et al., Solid State Technology (2000) 43, 6341. Anthony, J.E., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2001) 123, 948242. Gundlach, D.J., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2002) 80, 292543. Klauk, H., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2003) 82, 417544. Herwig, P.T.; Mullen, K., Adv. Mater. (1999) 11, 48045. Afzali, A., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2002) 124, 881246. Murphy, A. R., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2004) 126, 159647. Fuchigami, H., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1993) 63, 1372 48. Brown, A.R., et al., Science (1995) 270, 97249. Garnier, F., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1998) 73, 172150. Lefenfeld, M., et al., J. Phys. Chem. (2004) in press.51. Sheraw, C.D., et al., Adv. Mater. (2003) 15, 200952. Blanchet, G.B., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (2003) 82, 46353. Lefenfeld, M., et al., J. Phys. Chem. (2004) in press.54. Podzorov V., et al., Appl. Phys. Letts. (2003) 82(11), 173955. Halik, M., et al., J. Appl. Phys. (2003) 93(5), 2977.56. Kyissis, I., et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B (2002) 20, 95657. Thompson, L.F., et al., Introduction to Microlithography, 2nd edition, ACS

Professional Reference Book, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, (1994)58. Halik, M., et al., Adv. Mater. (2002)59. Bao, Z., et al., Chem. Mater. (1997) 9, 129960. Sirringhaus, H., et al., Science (2000) 290, 212361. Kawase, T., et al., Adv. Mater. (2001) 13, 160162. Wang, J.Z., et al., Nature Mater. (2004) 3, 17163. Xia, Y., Whitesides, G.M, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (1998) 37, 55064. Li, H.W., et al., Langmuir (2003) 407, 61365. Xia, Y., et al., Chem. Rev. (1999) 99, 1823 66. Loo, Y.L., et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (2002) 99, 332767. Burns, S.E., et al., J. Soc. Info. Display (2003) 11, 59968. Dobalapur, A., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. (1998) 73 (2) 14269. Comiskey, B., et al., Nature (1998) 394, 25370. Chen, Y., et al., Nature (2003) 423, 13671. Crone, B., et al., Nature (2000) 403, 52172. Meijer, E.J. et al., Nature Mater. (2004) 2, 67873. Chesterfield, R.J., et al., Adv. Mater. (2003) 15(15), 127874. Bansal, R., IEEE Ant. Prop. Mag. (2003) 45, 105


Introduction

Coherent and incoherent are terms we hear often in connection with opticalcoatings and their illumination, but what do they really mean? Advancedcoherence theory deals with the statistical properties of the light and is ratherinvolved, but the fundamental ideas are reasonably straightforward. Here welimit the discussion to some very simple effects applied to optical coatings.

Coherence is a measure of the ability to produce interference effects.It is often treated as though it were simply an attribute of the source of light,but in reality it depends on the entire system. We use the term “coherent” todescribe the situation where interference effects are at their maximumpossible and the term “incoherent” to describe when there are no detectableinterference effects at all. The cases in between are covered by the term“partially coherent.” Interference is fundamental in optical coatings, and soan understanding of coherence is of considerable importance.

We will assume for the purposes of this discussion that any interferenceeffects detected do not vary during the period of observation. We exclude veryshort pulses. They will be the subjects of a future tutorial. If there is no timesensitivity in the effects, we use the term “stationary” to describe the situation.More correctly, we say that the statistical properties do not vary with time.Because optical frequencies are exceedingly high, stationary phenomena canactually be quite short in duration when measured in human terms.

Let us imagine an experiment involving a beam of light. Withoutspecifying how we do it, let us draw two light samples from two coincidentpoints in the beam and superimpose them with no further changes, so as togenerate an interference effect. Now let us gradually separate the twopoints until the interference effects disappear. The separation of the twopoints at that stage is a measure of coherence. If the two points areseparated spatially along the direction of the primary beam, then thedistance between them is known as the “coherence length.” If the two pointsare displaced laterally, then they define a “coherence area.” If the points arespatially coincident but the beams are separated in time, then the timeseparation at which the interference disappears is the “coherence time.”The coherence time is just the time it takes for the light to travel thecoherence length.

Most of what follows will be concerned with coherence length. Fromthe point of view of optical coatings, this is the most useful way of describingthe phenomenon.

Spectral Decomposition

As usual, we are dealing with linear processes, and so we can follow ournormal practice of decomposing the input light to form its spectralcomponents, following each component through the system, and finallycombining it with the others to form the output. Because the light hasstationary properties, the relative phases of these components are unimpor-tant, and we can consider only their irradiances. The spectral componentsare most conveniently linearly polarized, plane, harmonic waves. We canwrite them in the form:

Equation 1

where E is the electric field amplitude, and the wave is propagating alongthe z-direction. The irradiance (that is, the power per unit area carried by awave) is given by the mean of the Poynting expression (that is, the mean ofthe product of electric and magnetic field). For a harmonic wave, themagnetic field is simply the electric field multiplied by y, the characteristicadmittance of the medium, and so for our simple component we have:

Equation 2

This fluctuates at twice the frequency of the wave, and the net irradiancewill be given by the mean of this quantity over a cycle. We denote this meanby the symbols <>. Also, y is the characteristic admittance of the medium,and we are using the non-standard symbol I for irradiance (rather than thestandard E).

Simple Interference

Let us take one of these monochromatic components as the input to a simplesystem. Let this component be split into two beams of amplitudes E1 and E2,which are then combined with a phase difference of �. The sum is given by:

Equation 3

and the net irradiance, from (2), by:

Equation 4

This net irradiance can be thought of as having two parts. The first part isthe sum of the individual irradiances and can be identified as the incoherentpart of the expression. This part is always positive. The second part exhibitsthe interference effect and is known as the “interference term.” Theinterference term can be positive or negative, depending on �. A combina-tion of multiple beams, each in a constant phase relationship with theothers, yields a somewhat more complicated expression but with the sameessential form of incoherent and interference terms. The output of any realoptical system will be a combination of many such expressions, where theincoherent parts will simply reinforce one another, but the interferenceterms may tend to cancel each other out. The presence or absence of asurviving interference term in the final result is what determines thecoherent or incoherent description.

Thin FilmsBecause we do not wish to make life difficult for ourselves, let us keep

the system as simple as possible: a single film between two semi-infinitemedia. The fringe pattern as a function of film thickness is shown in Figure1 where we have assumed transmission fringes.

In Figure 1 we have perfect monochromatic light and perfect coherence.Now let us suppose that the film is not quite uniform and varies across theaperture of the system. The amount of variation affects the contrast of thefringes. A small variation in thickness, much less than a wavelength, will havelittle effect on the appearance of the fringes, but a variation rather larger thana fringe width, half a wavelength, will smear the fringes so as to cause thecontrast effectively to disappear. We describe the first case of very small

Coherence in Optical Coatingsby Angus MacleodThin Film Center, Inc., Tucson, AZ

E cos ω πλ

ϕtnz

− +

2

Irradiance I y tnz

y= = − +

=E E2 2 22 1

2cos ω π

λϕ

E E1 2

2

2

2

2cos cosω π

λϕ ω π

λϕ

tnz

tnz

− +

+ − −

net irradiance y tnz

tnz= − +

+ − −

E E1 2

2

2

2

2cos cosω

πλ

ϕω

πλ

ϕ

= − +

+ − −

2

2 222 2

1

2

2

2

2y t

nzt

nzE Ecos cosω

πλ

ϕω

πλ

ϕ

+ − +

− −

= + +

22

2

2

2

2

1 2

1 2

E E cos cosωπλ

ϕω

πλ

ϕt

nzt

nz

I I II I1 2 cosϕ

Contributed Original Article


variation as coherent and the second as incoherent, but note that the qualityof the light has not changed. In this example, the quality of the film is thedetermining factor. In the case of a substrate, unless it is quite thin, itsvariation in thickness will dominate its properties. Even slight unintentionalwedging of a thick substrate across the measurement aperture will usually besufficient to smooth out any interference effects so that incoherent summationof the light rays will apply. If, however, the system is an imaging one where itis the fringes that are imaged, then they will disappear when their spacing isless than the resolution limit of the receiver.

Now let us return to a perfect film but with illumination made up of acollection of linearly polarized plane harmonic waves, all with identicalpolarization and incidence, but with a smooth variation of wavelength overan interval ��. As we increase the film thickness, the receiver will accept agradually increasingly smeared set of fringes. Eventually the smearing willextend over one fringe, and that will cause the contrast to fall virtually tozero. Although increased thickness and consequent increased smearing cancause small fluctuations due to fringe fractions, we can apply the attributeincoherent from that point onward. This condition, in terms of path differ-

ence, can be written as:

Equation 5

Some algebra yields:

Equation 6

We can identify the coherence length as this maximum path difference sothat:

Equation 7

However, if we place a filter with a width rather less than �� in the path, eitherbefore or after the interference device, then the coherence length of the experi-ment will become that corresponding to the new �� rather than the old.

The same kind of effect occurs when the incident light is monochro-matic but contains a range of angles of incidence, as in an illuminating cone.Here the smearing occurs because of the angles of incidence, which cause ashortening of path difference according to cos ϑ, with ϑ being the angle ofincidence. For a cone at normal incidence, Equation 5 is replaced by:

Equation 8

Path Difference m m= −

= −( ) +

λ λ λ λ∆ ∆

21

2

λλ∆

= − = −2 1

2

1

2

mm

Coherence Length Path Difference m= = −

=

1

2

2

λ λλ∆

Path Difference m m= ( ) = +( )( )λ λ ϑ1 cos

Figure 1. The fringe sequence as a function of layer thickness.



where we are using a rough two-dimensional approximation. This gives:

Equation 9

Of course any illumination will combine angular and bandwidth effects. Theeffect that predominates will be that with the shortest coherence length.These expressions should not be thought of as having great precision butrather as indicating an order of magnitude. The distribution of the lightwithin the limits of wavelength or angle has considerable influence on thevisibility of interference effects and hence the degree of coherence.

Figure 2 shows examples of the performance calculation of a simple 1-mm glass substrate with accurately parallel surfaces and an antireflectioncoating on one of them. The coherent case assumes a single, normallyincident, plane harmonic wave (that is, an infinite coherence length). Thesubstrate fringes are so close together that they cannot be individuallydistinguished in the figure. The partially coherent case has a constantbandwidth of 0.05 nm so that the coherence length varies from 3.2 mm to 9.8mm across the figure. The incoherent case assumes an incoherent beamcombination in the substrate but a coherent beam in the antireflectioncoating and is clearly the mean of both the partially coherent and coherentcases. It is also virtually indistinguishable from calculations using a coneangle of 5° or a bandwidth of 2 nm.

Whether or not interference effects can be detected can depend on thereceiver rather than the source. A white-light source such as the sun or anincandescent light bulb has a wide spectral width. Any calculation ofcoherence length has to be very rough, but we could agree on an order ofperhaps 0.5 µm. Yet in sunlight we can see many colored fringes in a wedged

film, such as a soap bubble. The reason is that the retinal receptors for colorin the human eye have a bandwidth of around 100 nm. With a wavelength of0.5 µm, this gives an effective coherence length of around 2.5 µm, so that wecan actually see fringes out to the fifth order, or so.

Fluorescent sources have a broad spectral output because of thephosphor lining their tubes. Yet the mercury discharge within them emitsstrong spectral lines, especially in the yellow and green, which are notremoved by the phosphor. Because these lines are much narrower than theeye receptors, it is possible to see many more fringes in fluorescent lighting.This can actually present problems in decorative applications that involvethick transparent coatings.

The hard coat that is applied to polymeric spectacle lenses before theirantireflection coatings is rarely an exact match in refractive index to theunderlying plastic. Such a coating will therefore usually show fringes in aspectrometer trace, perhaps 15 cycles or so across the visible region, unlessthe variation in thickness across the area illuminated by the spectrometer issuch that the fringes are smoothed out. In a spectrometer, the coherencelength is determined either by the spectral or angular width of the lightbeam, and is long. The spectral width of the eye receptors is normally toolarge to detect these fringes. In white light the output signal will beintegrated over perhaps five or so fringes, equivalent to a coherence lengthmuch less than the round-trip path difference. Such fringes can, however,become visible in fluorescent light due to the effects described in theprevious paragraph.

It is sometimes suggested that because white light is incoherent, it willbe unaffected by a thin-film filter operating in a very high order. Theargument is essentially that the filter will not operate on such light becausethe path differences are all arranged to be significantly larger than the inputcoherence length. The argument is, of course, incorrect. The concept ofcoherence length is not just an attribute of the light source, but of the entiresystem. Because the phase changes associated with large path differencesvary rapidly with wavelength, such a high-order filter can be expected toexhibit a quite narrow characteristic either in transmission or reflection. Itseffect will therefore be to accept a sufficiently small width of the incidentlight spectrum. This separated light will have the appropriate longcoherence length but will have small total power compared with the totalbroadband incident light. There is nothing in our ideas of coherence that isat odds with normal performance calculations and measurements of thin-film optical coatings.

Further Reading

Texts that deal with coherence are mostly rather advanced in theirapproach. Here are just a few references.

Born, Max and Emil Wolf, Principles of Optics: Electromagnetic Theoryof Propagation, Interference and Diffraction of Light. 7th ed. 1999,Cambridge University Press: New York. 952pp. This is the definitive, classicaltext.

Fowles, Grant R, Introduction to Modern Optics. 2nd ed, 1975, Holt,Rinehart and Winston Inc: New York. 336pp. Reprinted by DoverPublications. Contains a short, straightforward account of the principles.

Saleh, Bahaa E A and Malvin C Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics. 1sted. 1991, John Wiley and Sons Inc: New York. 966pp. Good chapter on statis-tical properties of light at a level between the two texts above.

For further information contact Angus Macleod at [email protected].

Coherence in Optical Coatingscontinued from page 25

Figure 2. A 1-mm glass substrate has a three-layer antireflection coating on one side.The other side is uncoated. Three performance calculations are shown. The coherentcase has zero bandwidth. The partially coherent case has a bandwidth of 0.05 nm.The incoherent case uses coherent calculations for the coating performance butincoherent for the substrate. The incoherent result is indistinguishable from thosefor a bandwidth of 2 nm or a cone of 5° semi-angle.

Coherence Length m= =−

λ λ ϑϑ

λϑ

cos

cos1

22

2006 SVC Technical ConferenceApril 22–27, 2006

Marriott Wardman Park HotelWashington, DC

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS:September 30, 2005


Surface and FilmCharacterizationAnodization of Aluminum Films

The formation of a hard, dielectric oxide (Al2O3)surface on an aluminum film has many applica-tions. A hard surface is protective to the softaluminum; a dielectric surface can be used toform a thin film capacitor; and the optical reflec-tion properties of the surface can be changed in acontrolled manner by having thickness controlover the oxide layer. Anodization is used toenhance the oxidation rate of a surface.Anodization can be performed either in a plasmaor fluid media containing ions (electrolyte).

Plasma anodization uses a plasma as theelectrolyte [1]. Oxygen is a very electronegativeatom, and the �- ion is formed in the oxygenplasma by electron attachment. This �- isadsorbed on the film surface and diffuses throughthe oxide under the influence of the electric field.Several different types of plasma generationsystems can be used, including, DC, RF (400 kHzto 13.56 MHz), and ECR (high-density) plasmas.The plasma conditions (ion density and tempera-ture, electron density and temperature, plasmacontamination, and plasma potential) as well asthe substrate bias, affect the oxide growth. Amajor concern is substrate heating by the plasmaand the electron flow to the surface. Aluminumhas a high coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE), and when trapped between layers of lowerCTE, high-elastic modulus material at hightemperatures will develop high tensile stresses inthe film when it is cooled. This can cause thegeneration of voids (stress voiding).

In the case of electrolytic anodization, if theelectrolyte used does not corrode the depositingoxide, the oxidized layer may form a “barrier”anodized layer. In barrier anodization, theelectric field generated across the oxide causesthe adsorbed negative oxygen ions to diffusethrough the oxide to the oxide-metal interface.The higher the electric field, the thicker theoxide that can be formed.

Electrolytic barrier anodization of aluminumfilms on mirrors is a rather old technique,described by Wartenberg and Moehl in 1947 andGeorg Hass in 1949 [2]. More recently, theanodization of aluminum mirrors was describedby Stan Thomas [3].

In the electrolytic cell (see Figure 1),oxygen is released by disassociation of theelectrolyte at the anode. Negative oxygen ionsare formed and diffuse through the oxide layer

under the influence of the electric field. Theelectrolyte recommended by Stan Thomas is:

1. Prepare a 0.2 molar tartaric acid in adistilled water solution.

2. Titrate to a pH of 5.5 to 6.9 usingammonium hydroxide.

3. Mix this ammonium tartrate solution withpropylene glycol (1: 1).

4. Use a current-limited DC power supply toanodize at a constant current at an oxide growthrate of 250 Å to 1000 Å per minute. Oxidize tothe voltage (oxide thickness) desired.

This technique will give a barrier oxidethickness of about 14 Å/volt. For mirror applica-tions, the oxide thickness can be adjusted to givethe maximum reflection at a specific wavelength.

Sharp and Panitz [4] made thin film capaci-tors using barrier canonization and found thatchlorine contamination in the electrolyte limitedthe voltage (film thickness) that could beattained. In a chlorine-free electrolyte, theanodization voltage can be as high as 1000 volts(i.e., > 1 micron thick oxide).

Other “valve metals” such as tantalum,titanium, zirconium, and niobium also can bebarrier anodized, as can doped (electricallyconductive) silicon.

Cleaning Aluminum Film Surfaces

Anodization of the aluminum film is bestaccomplished as quickly as possible after vacuumdeposition. Particulate contamination orcondensed vapor contamination that preventswetting will affect the anodization. Of course,sometimes aluminum film surfaces must becleaned.

One of the best techniques for removingparticles from a delicate surface with one

Sample Guide from the Collection ofEducation Guides to Vacuum Coating Processingby Donald M. MattoxSVC Technical Director


Figure 1.

Thermoelectric materials are becoming more important as an alternateenergy source, and applications for these materials are increasing. The

thermoelectric effect involves generation of electrical energy from a heatsource or removal of heat when an electric current is passed through thematerial. Thermoelectric devices are used for power generation and cooling.They are being developed for power generation from waste heat sources(automobiles, heavy trucks, industrial processes, chemical processes, steelindustry for example), space power, remote low-voltage power sources,personnel cooling, automobile cooling, cooling of electronics, and refrigera-tion. This technology is based on the Seebeck effect, which relates thevoltage (power) generated in the material when a temperature difference isapplied across it (heat flux). Referring to the basic thermocouple withmaterials a and b (shown in Figure 1), the Seebeck coefficient is defined as

Sab = dV/dT, where a temperaturegradient �T is applied across thesample or structure. The rate of heatexchange is relate to the Peltier coeffi-cient by Q = �abI. The Seebeck coeffi-cient is related to the Peltier coeffi-cient by the relation �ab = SabT, whichrelates thermoelectric cooling tothermoelectric power generation.Finally, the Thompson coefficient isdefined as � = TdS/dT.

Thermoelectric power generation(TEG) requires a p-n couple for currentto flow, as shown in Figure 2. Thethermoelectric figure of merit ZT is adimensionless quantity that defines thethermoelectric power generation andcooling efficiency. In its simplest form,ZT = �S2T/, where � is the electricalconductivity, and is the thermal

conductivity of the material. The power factor PF is just the numerator ofthis expression. The efficiency of the material is related to the Carnotefficiency by the relation:

= �T(M-1)/[Th(M + Tc/Th)], with M = (1 + ZT)1/2.

Figure 3 relates power generating efficiency to ZT and �T( = Th - Tc).If a ZT in the range of 2 – 3 can be obtained, TEG efficiencies will be near

20%, which will make them very attractive commercially. To date, the ZTnear 2.5 has been reported by Lincoln Laboratory [1] and ~ 3.2 for Hi-ZTechnology [2], but only on a small scale.

For a p-n couple, the figure of merit must combine both p and n legsthe effective figure of merit of a p-n couple is:

ZT = (Sp – Sn)2T/[(p�p)1/2 + (n�n)1/2]2.

Here � = resistivity of the p or n leg. Note that the Seebeck coefficient of an-type material is negative. The maximum power output for a p-n couple is[(Sp – Sn)�T]2/4R, where R is the load resistance [3].

The magnitude of the Seebeck coefficient is directly related to the bandgap of the material. Semiconductors have the best combination of highconductivity and Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity. Figure 4shows the relationship between power factor, Seebeck coefficient, electricalresistivity, and carrier concentration. Note that there is a carrier concentra-tion at which the power factor reaches a maximum value. This is generallyachieved by semiconductors. Metals have very high electrical and thermalconductivities but very low Seebeck coefficient, and insulators have a veryhigh Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity, but very lowelectrical conductivity. Table 1 lists several semiconductor materials thatare currently being used for TEG and cooling applications.

Table 1. Typical TE properties of selected semiconductor materials at 300K.

The TE properties of thin films and nanostructured materials can beenhanced by quantum confinement. Hicks and Dresselhaus wrote thepioneering paper describing this enhancement in low-dimensional structures(quantum wells, quantum wires, and quantum dots) [4]. Quantum wells

Thermoelectric Materials and Applicationsby Peter MartinBattelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA

Figure 1. Diagram of a basic thermo-couple. Two different conductors, aand b, have junctions at X and Y. Atemperature �T difference is createdbetween X and Y.

Figure 2. Thermoelectric power generating couple.

Figure 3. Relationship between power conversion efficiency, operating temperature,and temperature difference.

Material Seebeck Coefficient (�V/K) Resistivity ( -cm)

Si 200 - 800 0.0005SiGe 200 - 600 0.001Bi2Te3 150 - 250 0.00002Bi2-xSbxTe3 150 0.00067Sb2Te3 90 0.000006PbTe 100 - 150 0.0025TAG80 100 0.0075B4C 200 0.5


Contributed Original Article


confine charge carriers in two dimensions; quantum wires confine them inone dimension; and quantum dots confine them in zero dimensions. Figure 5shows these structures (bulk is three dimensions), and Figure 6 shows thedensity of states of the bulk (3D), superlattice (2D), quantum wire (1D), andquantum dot (0D) structures. The enhancement in electrical conductivitycan be related to the width of the quantum well by the relation:

�2D/�3D = (�/a)(F0,2D/F1/2,3D)( �/(2mzkT)1/2)

where a is the width of the quantum well (usually < 30 Å), F0,2D is the 2DFermi function, F1/2,3D is the 3D Fermi function, and mz is the charge carriermass in the z direction (perpendicular to the superlattice interface). TheFermi function is defined as:

∞Fi = ∫xidx/(e(x-�*) + 1) and �* = ( �- �2�2/2mza2)/kT,

0

where � is the potential energy relative to the conduction band edge. Thecritical QW dimension for enhancement is:

a ≤ �(F0,2D/F1/2,3D)( �/(2mzkT)1/2)

Using these relations, the enhancement in the electrical conductivity alonecan be an order of magnitude.

Table 2 shows the enhancement in power factor for a Si/Si0.2Ge0.8 quantumwell structure with 1000 layers, each 100 Å thick. This structure wasdeposited by magnetron sputtering using the set up shown in Figure 7. Notethat the power factor increase for the quantum well structure is at least anorder of magnitude compared to the single layer Si or Si/Si0.2Ge0.8 film. Anexact measurement of the thermal conductivity of this film is needed toobtain ZT but is estimated to be in the range 0.01 – 0.1 W/cmK.

Table 2. Power factors of Si and Si0.2Ge0.8 films and Si/Si0.2Ge0.8 quantum wellstructures.

Other promising thin film thermoelectric materials are Bi2Te3, PbTe,(AgSbTe)x(GeTe)100 - x, AgPbTe, SnTe, Sb2Te3, SiC, B4C, B9C, and conductiveoxides. Bulk and nanocomposites include skutterudites (CoSb3), clathrates(Sr8Ga16Ge30), conductive oxides (ITO, ZnO), doped oxides (TiO2), bismuthand lead tellurides, and other tellurides (AgPbmSbTe2+m).

Cost is one of the big questions for extensive development of thesematerials, thin films in particular. The materials and process equipmentaren’t cheap. Costs can be projected to be less than $0.10/W in 10 years, butthe way the price of oil keeps skyrocketing, thermoelectric power generationand waste heat recovery may look very attractive by then.

References1. T. C. Harman, P. J. Taylor, M. P. Walsh, and B. E. LaForge, Science

(Washington, DC, United States) (2002), 297(5590), 2229-2232.

2. Hi-Z Technology (Hi-Z.com)

3. G.S. Nolas, J. Sharp, and H. J. Goldsmid, Thermoelectrics: Basic Principlesand New Materials Developments, Springer, Berlin (2001).

4. L.D. Hicks and M.S. Dresselhaus, “Effect of Quantum-well Structures on theThermoelectric Figure of Merit,” Phys. Rev. B, 47, 12727 (1993).

Figure 4. Relationship between power factor, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coeffi-cient, and carrier concentration.

Figure 5. Progression of low-dimension structures from bulk to quantum dot.

Figure 6. Density of states of 3D, 2D, 1D, and 0D quantum well structures.

Figure 7. Apparatus used to deposit quantum well structures by magnetronsputtering.

Material Seebeck Conductivity PowerCoefficient (�V/K) (S/cm) Factor

Si 600 60 0.0065Si0.8Ge0.2 800 35 0.0067Si/ Si.0.8Ge0.2 750 300 0.051Quantum WellStructure


Nanotechnology is often described as “the technology of the future.” R&Dand applications in the field of nanotechnology are attracting growing

interest worldwide. That means: Nanotechnology Conquers Markets.Nanotechnology refers to the creation, investigation, and application of

structures, molecular materials, internal interfaces, or surfaces with at leastone critical dimension or with manufacturing tolerances of (typically) lessthan 100 nanometres. The decisive factor is that the very nanoscale of thesystem components results in new functionalities and properties forimproving products or developing new products and applications. Thesenovel effects and possibilities result mainly from the ratio of surface atoms tobulk atoms and from the quantum-mechanical behavior of the buildingblocks of matter [1]. Property changes due to the utilisation of dimension,form, and composition achieve new functionalities of a physical, chemical, orbiological nature.

Plasma surface engineering is one of the valid tools for nanoprocessingand was established to achieve properties based on nanoscale effects formany possible applications and products. Plasma processes use thepotential of:

• Nanoparticles, nanofibres, carbon nanotubes• Surface structures• Functionalization and functionalized coatingsNanoparticles are used for paints, lacquers, and in UV-reflecting films.

These particles can be included in protective coatings for householdappliances, spectacle lenses, glazing materials for sanitary applications, or inexterior house paints to prevent scratches, tarnishing, smudging, or algaegrowth.

Particles can be modified by means of DC magnetron sputtering, Thinmetallic films of Al, Ti, or Cu were deposited by means of this process onsilicon oxide particles, that were made at the Institute of Low TemperaturePlasma Physics in Greifswald, suspended in an argon RF discharge [2,3]. Acopper ring was placed on the RF electrode in order to confine the particlesin the centre of the discharge. The coated particles were examined byscanning electron microscopy (SEM, see Figure 1). The structure of themetallic films is different depending on the target material. While the Aland Cu films are deposited smoothly, the Ti films show a distinct islandformation. This can be explained by the lower sputter yield of the titaniumtarget and also by the different surface energy between the particles and thedeposited material. For an optically thick metal coating of about 60 nm, the

particles have to be confined for 1 minute. This is not a problem becausethe particles can be trapped for hours. The particles are completely coveredwith close and quite thick metal layers. Figure 1 shows a Cu-coated SiO2

particle. There the layer is broken probably due to thermal tension.Often the particles have a rough and cauliflower-like shape, which

makes them attractive, especially for catalytic applications. If the depositedfilms are thinner and the surrounding layer is smoother, the surfacestructure of the coated particles looks like a golf ball, which might beinteresting for optical applications.

Carbon nanotubes are a promising material for different applicationsdue to their light weight and the possibility to tune their electrical proper-ties. In addition, they reveal a high specific surface area up to 1600 m2/g.Due to their composition, the surface tension is relatively low and thus hasto be enhanced for several applications. Both multi-wall nanotubes andbucky papers are made by a special CVD process.

Carbon nanotubes may play an interesting role not only for technicalreasons but also for biomedical applications. In Figure 2, a bucky papermade of carbon nanotubes is shown in contact with human fibroblasts. Asshown, the cells growth is strongly enhanced on the modified paper, wherefunctionalization is performed using a plasma technique. In general, theinteraction of surfaces with cells is mediated by the structure as well as bythe chemical surface composition. Both can be optimized by a plasmatreatment performed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineeringand Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart.

Structured surfaces can be prepared via ultra-precision processing toenhance the efficiency of machines and measuring tools. A structuredsurface is necessary, especially for antireflection applications. In order toimprove this behavior for lenses and other parts, nano-moth-eye antireflec-tion patterns were investigated recently. One of the research institutesworking very actively on this matter is the Fraunhofer Institute for AppliedOptics and Precision Engineering (IOF) in Jena. They use a patented ionetching process for such moth-eye structures on PMMA [4]. A transmissionof PMMA over 98% is realized in the wavelength region between 420 and 800nm if the modification is done on both sides [5]. The process is also suitablefor non-planar surfaces.

Functional coatings fabricated with special plasma sources and systemsallow the production of thin films for engines, windows, or mirrors and otherparts in cars.

By means of dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) run at atmosphericpressure, various substrates can be modified with respect to their physicaland chemical surface properties, such as surface tension (hydrophilic andhydrophobic) and chemical composition. Si-based coatings (SiOx, plasmapolymers), hydrogenated carbon coatings, and fluorinated (hydro)carboncoatings were deposited and characterized according to the density ofchemical functional groups, adhesion-promoting properties, and barrierproperties. Silicon-based ultra-thin films show superior adhesion-

Plasma Surface Engineering for Nanotechnology Applicationsby Ralf FellenbergVDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany

Donald M. Mattox Tutorial presented on April 25, 2005, at the 48th SVC TechCon in Denver, CO

Figure 1: Cu-coated SiO2 particle

Figure 2: Fluorescence-labeled humanoid fibroblasts on bucky paper before (left) andafter (right) plasma treatment. The treatment results in enhanced cell adhesion andproliferation.


promoting properties as interlayers between metal surfaces and organiccoatings. Furthermore, silicon oxide coatings on polymers exhibit a signifi-cant barrier action against oxygen permeation. It has been demonstratedthat films with high retention of the monomer structure can be grown fromappropriate organic precursors. Functional groups (e.g., epoxy or amino)grafted to a polymeric surface can be used for the immobilization ofbiomolecules and for electroless plating (among other applications).Patterned chemical functionalization and coating on the sub-millimeterscale can be achieved by means of plasma-printing as well as internalcoating of microfluidic components [6,7]. This is the basis for plasmaprocesses within the nm scale.

The Plasma-Printing process performed at the Fraunhofer Institute forSurface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) in Braunschweig allows thetreatment of many insulating substrates at precisely defined locations. Anappropriately patterned dielectric is used to form cavities, in which a non-thermal, atmospheric pressure discharge is then generated. The substrate isbrought into direct contact with the discharge, between the patterneddielectric and the ground electrode, so plastics or glass can be furnishedwith functional groups such as amino-, epoxy-, carboxy- or hydroxy-. Thesesurfaces enable the targeted coupling of proteins or biomolecules and alsothe selective electroless metallization. First applications in the areas ofbiomedicine, bioanalysis, and microelectronics are under investigation [8,9].

Plasma surface engineering is also needed to prepare surface modifica-tions for biomedical applications. Examples are the plasma functionalizationof hollow fiber membranes for extracorporeal blood purification as well asmicrofluid components used in micro reaction technology.

Today, plasma-based processes are widespread and well established invarious industrial branches. Between 1995 and 2001, the mean annualgrowth of the German market for plasma surface engineering equipment hasshown a mean annual growth of 13%. In 2001, the total market for industrialplasma systems in machine construction amounted to approx. 250 millions ofEuro. 40% of the industrial plasma systems manufactured in Germany areexported [10].

As new technological trends, nanotechnology and plasma technologywill have a powerful impact on the market of the 21st Century.

References

1. V. Rieke, G. Bachmann “Nanotechnology Conquers Markets,” Bonn, Berlin(2004).

2. H. Kersten, R. Wiese, G. Thieme, M. Fröhlich, A. Kopitov, D. Bojic, F. Scholze,H. Neumann, M. Quaas, H. Wulff, R. Hippler, “Examples for application anddiagnostics in plasma-powder interaction,” New J. Phys. 5, p. 93.1 (2003).

3. H. Kersten, G. Thieme, M. Fröhlich, D. Bojic, D.H. Tung, M. Quaas, H. Wulff, R.Hippler, “Complex (dusty) plasmas: examples for applications and observationof magnetron-induced phenomena,” Pure Appl. Chem. 77(2), p. 415 (2005).

4. Europäische Patentanmeldung PCT/EP 03/07583 (2003).

5. A. Kaless, U. Schulz, P. Munzert, N. Kaiser, “NANO-motheye antireflectionpattern by plasma treatment of polymers,” Surface and Coatings Technology,in press (2005).

6. C.-P. Klages, K. Höpfner, N. Kläke, R. Thyen, “Surface functionalization atatmospheric pressure by DBD-based pulsed plasma polymerization,” Plasmasand Polymers 5, p. 79 (2000).

7. C.-P. Klages, M. Eichler, R. Thyen, “Atmospheric pressure PA-CVD of silicon-and carbon-based coatings using dielectric barrier discharges,” New Diamondand Frontier Carbon Technology 13, p. 175 (2003).

8. C. Penache, V. Bartels, C.-P. Klages, “Atmospheric Pressure Radio FrequencyDischarges for Patterned Surface Treatment,” Hakone IX, Padova (August2004).

9. S. Kreitz, C. Penache, M. Thomas, C.-P. Klages, “Patterned DBD treatment forarea-selective metallization of polymers - plasma printing,” to be published inSurf. Coat. Technol. (2005).

10. R. Fellenberg, G. Bräuer, “Plasma Surface Technologies in Germany,” 46thAnnual Technical Conference Proceedings of the Society of Vacuum Coaters,ISSN 0737-5921, pp. 462 - 468 (2003).

For further information, Ralf Fellenberg can be reached at [email protected].


Abstract

We describe a technique which allows for atomic force microscopy to be usedto make a physical measurement of the thickness of thin film samples.When dealing with a film which is ultrathin (<100 nm), standard measure-ment techniques may become difficult to apply successfully. The techniquedeveloped involves the fabrication of a distinct, abrupt step on the filmsurface, using a device we call the Abruptor. This step can be scanned withan atomic force microscope, revealing the height of the step. Films from 6-15nm are now routinely measured in this way, though it is possible to apply thismeasurement technique to thinner and thicker films. The thinnest film wemeasured was 3.6 nm.

Introduction

In our studies of thin films and their optical behavior in the extreme ultraviolet(EUV), it is routine for the thin films group at Brigham Young University to dealwith films that have thicknesses between 4-10 nm. Thin films—ultrathin filmsin particular—can have optical properties distinctly different than those of thesame material considered in bulk form [1]. When dealing with materials forwhich there is little or no existing work, this complication often introduces alarge uncertainty to measurements of film thickness found using standardtechniques, such as ellipsometry or low-angle x-ray reflection interference. Aphysical measurement, however, is a much more direct approach, as it wouldnot require substantial knowledge of the material being studied.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is capable of measuring surfacestructures with sub-angstrom resolution, making it an excellent method toprecisely determine film thicknesses. An AFM uses a pointed probe at theend of a long arm or cantilever, similar to that of a record player, which canbe used to “scan” a surface. In the “tapping mode”, the probe is driven tooscillate in a plane normal to the sample surface. Piezo drivers are used toraster the oscillating probe across the surface, while the probe taps thesurface. The height of the probe is monitored by bouncing a laser off theback of the probe, into a detector. Signals from the detector are used toconstruct an image showing the topography of the sample.

In many laboratories, film thicknesses greater than 100 nm aremeasured using AFM by creating a step in the sample between the surface ofthe film to the substrate. This step in the sample must have certain attrib-utes for film thickness to be determined from the collected data. Forultrathin films to be measured using the AFM, the transition between thefilm and substrate across the step must be as immediate as possible, sinceAFM data is best when the scan sizes are less than 10 microns. The piezodrivers used to raster the probe across the sample surface do not translatethe probe in a line, but instead cause it to swing in an arc. With larger scansizes, this swing becomes more evident, and its presence becomes moresubstantial when precise, nanoscale measurements are being made. Figure1 illustrates the qualities an ideal step would have. Also, whatever process isemployed to create the step must not influence the structure or thickness ofthe film, since data collected would not truly reflect the thickness of thedeposited film.

There are a variety of techniques through which a step in the samplecan be formed that involve the removal of the film from the substratefollowing deposition. Among the most common are lift-off and photolitho-graphic methods, which involve the deposition of a resist onto select areas ofthe substrate. The film of interest in then deposited on top of the substrate,which is partially coated by the resist. Chemical removal of the resist willleave only part of the substrate coated, and the step between the coatedregion and the uncoated substrate can be measured with AFM to determinethe thickness of the film deposited [2]. Our deposition area, however, is not

equipped for lithographic processes, so this approach was not taken.With the hopes of creating an AFM measurable step, we attempted to

remove films from our substrates through a couple of alternative methods.The “adhesive tape” method involved using a piece of adhesive tape on thesample surface, and ripping the film from the substrate. In a secondmethod, the film is scraped from the substrate. An inexpensive techniquesimilar to lift-off involves writing on a substrate with an indelible markerbefore deposition, then sonicating the sample in a solvent (such asisopropanol or acetone) afterwards. The last step removes the marker lines,as well as the film that was deposited above them.

Attempts to produce steps through these methods, however, found littlesuccess. With the materials of interest to our group (typically transitionmetals and their oxides), the adhesion between the film and substrate isgreat enough that removal of the film is very difficult. Scraping the filmresulted in the film flaking, leaving debris and dust on the surface thatinterfere with the AFM probe when scans were made. Occasionally an imagecould be collected, but the surface would show ridges parallel to the scrapingmotion, and peaks near the edge of the step—indicating that the removal ofthe film had compromised the integrity of the surface. Use of the indeliblemarker technique did not result in steps with a transition suitable formeasuring ultrathin films with AFM.

Device

The problems encountered with the previously described sample preparationmethods could be avoided by integrating step fabrication into the depositionprocess. An AFM measurable step could be formed on the sample surface byplacing a mask in firm contact with the substrate during film deposition.

To accomplish this, we chose double-edge stainless steel razor bladesfor use as the mask, and a rigid support for the razor blade was machined tohold the blade securely to the substrate surface at 45˚. This step fabricationdevice (SFD) is called the Abruptor, and is pictured in Figure 2. Weacknowledge that the presence of the SFD may locally influence deposition.However, with the tilt-back design of the razor blade support, we feel thatshadowing effects will be minimized at the blade/substrate contact line. The

A Technique for Measuring the Thin Film Thickness of UltrathinMetallic Thin Films, 4-20 nm, using Atomic Force Microscopyby Guillermo Acosta, David D. Allred, and Robert C. DavisBrigham Young University, Provo, UT

Presented in the Poster Session on April 25, 2005, at the 48th SVC TechCon in Denver, CO

Figure 1. A step in sample to be measured by AFM must have certain qualities,illustrated here by these very different landscapes. Sand dunes are examples of poorquality steps, since they have a gentle, rolling transition from the top of the step to thebottom. This makes it difficult to declare which part of the surface is the top of thestep and which part is the bottom. Preferred steps, in contrast, have distinct surfaces,where the top and bottom of the step are easily identified, as with the cliff of a canyon.Also, an ideal step in a surface has a very immediate and abrupt transition.


effects of “deposition atom deflection” (that is,deposition atoms incident upon the SFDpotentially bouncing off the blade onto thedeposition area), if any, are unknown.

Use

A bolt passes through two springs, one above andone below the device body, to attach the SFD tothe platform on which the substrate sits duringdeposition. Tension provided by the springsallows for the blade to be placed in tight contactwith substrate, and offers control over how muchpressure is applied by the device. Before bladesare used, they are sonicated first in acetone, thentwice sonicated in hexane, and allowed to dry.Each of the blade preparation steps are donewith the blades hanging in a rack, with nocontact between neighboring blades. Thefollowing contact procedure is used to producehigh quality steps:

• Secure substrate to sample platform. • Hold the SFD between thumb and index

finger, with razor away from palm• Keeping the razor end of the Abruptor

above the substrate, place the SFD intoposition.

• With other hand, begin threading thesecuring bolt to the sample platform, stillkeeping the razors edge above thesubstrate.

• Tighten the securing bolt to achieve theappropriate tension in the springs. Findingthe proper tension in the springs islearned by trial and error. If the bolt is tooloose, the edge will not be of high quality;if the bolt is too tight, it is possible to

crack the substrate and/or scrape thesubstrate surface.

• Gently lower the contact end of the SFD tomeet the substrate

To remove the SFD,• Gently take hold of the SFD with hand

position described above• Apply a slight force to the SFD to pull the

device into palm, increasing the forceuntil the SFD slides slightly.

• Unbolt the SFD from the sample platform.

Evaluation

Our first use of the SFD was a success. A thinfilm of vanadium (220 s deposition using a 4" DCmagnetron sputtergun, onto a 3" silicon wafer)was imaged with a Digital Instruments D3100,within three hours of its removal from the deposi-tion chamber. The image in Figure 3 was one ofseveral collected during the AFM session, usingthe scope in tapping mode with a silicon nitridetip. The repeated appearance of a roundedtriangle throughout the image is an artifact thatcomes from the substrate being a poorer qualityof <111> orientation silicon wafers. Subsequentfilms were deposited on higher quality <100>silicon, which were ascertained by AFM to besmooth and flat (roughness <0.2 nm). Thesurface of the <111> wafers had slight depres-sions, and the deposited film also had low spots,seen as the triangular features. That is, the


Figure 2. a) The step fabrication device, and its parts:i) SFD body, ii) mounting bolt, iii) securing plate, andiv) stainless steel blade. A measured drawing of theSFD is available upon request. b) This is a phototaken of the SFD mounted in our deposition system,loaded with a 3" silicon wafer.

i

iiiii

iv

(a)

(b)


triangle shape in the image appears with the same orientation, with thesame frequency and relative prominence on both the film and substratesides. The approximate sputter rate was known to be 0.04-0.05 nm/s,meaning the expected film thickness was 8.8-11 nm. A conformal film thisthin translates any features the substrate might have, such as these from the<111> wafer. Analysis of the image using the Digital Instruments Nanoscopesoftware reported the step to be approximately 10.3 nm tall, seen in Figure 4,with the step transition occurring over less than a micron.

Following the initial AFM session, the vanadium sample was placed inan oven at 100ºC for three days, to accelerate the oxidation of the film, afterwhich it was remeasured with the AFM. It is routine for samples to beannealed in this way, and for the steps produced by the SFD to truly be

useful, the steps should maintain the physical qualities needed to bemeasured with an AFM following such an annealing period. Oxide formationwill generally result in the film swelling, as oxygen is incorporated into thefilm’s structure. Analysis of the new images showed the thickness of thesample was now 14.8 nm, shown in Figure 5. The step height had changed bya factor of 1.4

The films produced in our sputter system are not perfectly uniform, butit was expected that several measurements along a single step would be inmoderate agreement. Measurements at different positions along the step, in

both pre- and post-annealing sessions, do, indeed, report consistent values.As an example, Figure 6 is a second measurement of the annealed vanadiumfilm, taken at a different position along the step. Notice, the measurementsof Figure 5 and Figure 6 match nicely, despite the two locations of the datacollection being separated by millimeters.

Use of this technique consistently gives good results. Our success ratefor producing a measurable step is nearly 90% for work where a thicknessestimate or confirmation is sought and about 70% when a step of the highestquality is needed. As described in the previous section, it is clear that deviceplacement and removal are skills learned though experience, and require acertain amount of finesse. On the nanoscale, these “macro” actions each

have the potential to introduce features to the surface which may appear inthe images and prevent a proper step height measurement.

Transitions between film and substrate vary, but steps typically haveslopes on the order of 8 nm over 0.7-0.9 microns. It has been more difficult toproduce a high quality transition for thinner films (less than 6 nm). Here,the transition from film to substrate may have an acceptable slope only inisolated regions along the length of the edge. The best transition observedwas a drop of 12.5 nm over a mere 0.12 microns, while the thinnest measuredfilm was 3.6 nm. We believe that thinner films could be measured, providedthat the appropriate surface position for engaging the AFM could be foundusing the microscope’s “guidance” optics. A majority of the extremely thinfilms studied have oxides present that are essentially transparent in thevisible, making it very difficult to identify the step while cruising the surfaceprior to probe engagement. Being able to determine where to engage theprobe with the sample is crucial, otherwise collecting an image of the step isakin to taking shots in the dark.

Measuring Film Thickness of UltrathinMetallic Thin Films Using Atomic ForceMicroscopycontinued from page 35

Figure 3. This was the first image collected of a step in a sample using the SFD. Tointerpret the image, imagine that it is what an observer above the surface sees whenlooking straight down, where the brighter features are taller than those that aredarker. The size of the scan is 10 microns square, and the gray-scale to the right canbe used to gauge the heights of features.

Figure 5. Following an annealing period, the height of the step is found to beapproximately 14.8 nm. In this image the scan size is 5 microns square.

Figure 6. Subsequent scans of the annealed film at different positions along the stepreport similar thickness values. Here, the step height is approximately 16.6 nm,which is reasonably similar (within 10%) to what was reported in Figure 5.

Figure 4. Software available from Digital Instruments was used to analyze theimage shown in Figure 3. The step height is approximately 10.3 nm.


Additional Results

Three thin film samples of vanadium were deposited, separately, at a multipleof a single sputter time (133 s, 266 s, and 399 s) to produce samples thatwould have similarly related thicknesses. The samples were then annealed inan oven at 85°C for three days, and measured with the AFM. A graph of thestep height measurements is shown in Figure 7, with a trendline showing theresults of a linear fit. The equation of the trendline shows the thickness vs.time extrapolates to 1.4 nm for a 0 s deposition (in the graph, the y-axis meetsthe x-axis at t=62 s). One explanation for this might be to assume thepresence of an ultrathin layer of hydrocarbon contaminants on our substrateswhich is covered by the film as it is deposited, such that the thicknessmeasurements are not solely that of the film, but that of the film plus thehydrocarbon underneath. Based on recent experience with hydrocarboncontamination, the hydrocarbons present on the substrate before film deposi-tion could be between 0.1 and 1.5 nm thick, depending upon the amount ofexposure to ambient conditions [3]. No special precautions were taken toeliminate surface layers from substrates before deposition. This layer ofhydrocarbon is usually not reported in AFM images, as the AFM probe pushesright through the contaminant since the layer is soft. Here, though, thehydrocarbon layer is coated with a thin film, and presence of the hydrocarbon

is revealed in these measurements. A second explanation isthat the same amount of vanadium oxide forms on the surfaceof each sample.

y = 28.91x + 14.25

Sputter time (s )

Thi

ckne

ss (A

)

0133 266 400

20

40

60

80

100

120

AFM measurements of oxidized vanadium thin films

Figure 7. Films with sputter times that are multiples of each other are expected tohave thicknesses which are multiples of each other. Here, though, we see that thefilm that has the 266 s sputter time is not twice as thick as the film with the 133 ssputter time, nor is the 399 s film three times as thick as the 133 s film.

b)

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 8. Four examples of the puzzling surface features are shown,each from different samples. Each image is that of a step betweenfilm and substrate. On the film side of each step, there appear to beridges, which are not seen on the substrate side. Between the images,the families of ridges have little in common, while ridges of aspecific family follow a common contour. Two of the images hereshow some nanodust, which is responsible for a few bright scanlines, but this is not unusual to see on the sample surfaces.


The explanation involving the presence of acontaminant on the surface receives supportfrom some apparently anomalous featuresnoticed over the course of study of over sixtysamples. Though imaging sessions were usuallyroutine, occasionally features would appear inthe images that were without immediate explana-tion. Figure 8 shows four examples of strangestructures on sample surfaces. Each of theimages in Figure 8 is that of a step between filmand substrate. On the surface of the film in eachimage, there are a number of small ridges whichrun parallel to each other, intersecting the stepat various angles. In each instance, the family ofridges have approximately the same height, butdo not have uniform spacing. Also, the ridges donot intersect each other, suggesting that all ofthem are the consequence of a single physicalmovement or action. These features were notconsistently present among the samples.

The anomalous features seen in a few ofthe samples, and the issue with the filmthicknesses not extrapolating to zero, can beexplained as follows:

As the SFD makes initial contact, the portionof the blade that is not sandwiched between thesecuring plate and support surface (between theedge of the razor and the Abruptor body) will bowunder the applied force. We refer to this as “blade-

bow”, and it is illustrated in Figure 9. When blade-bow occurs, the contact edge of the mask slidesalong the substrate surface. The blade then mightact as a plow, pushing hydrocarbon contaminant infront of the blade. Subsequent film depositioncoats the entire region, and removal of the SFDproduces a step which has a height that is thethickness of the film plus the hydrocarbon that waspushed in front of the mask.

Conclusion

We have developed and applied a technique whichproduces a step in ultrathin films, which can bemeasured with AFM to find the step height. Once adeposition chamber is modified to accommodatethe use of the SFD, producing measurable samplesis quick and inexpensive. Films as thin as 3.6 nm,and as thick as 220 nm have been measured usingthis method. Studies of film thicknesses using thistechnique have offered insight into the oxidation ofvanadium thin films, as well as the presence ofhydrocarbon contaminants on substrates. To betterunderstand the effect of the presence of the SFD tothe film deposition in the contact area, it will benecessary to image samples over larger scan areas.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to offer their sincerestthanks to Wes Lifferth, Mark O. Erickson, NanEllen Ah You and the entire front office staff fortheir extraordinary assistance with all things.Also, Acosta would like to thank the MinorityGraduate Education at Mountain States Alliance,and, of course, the Society of Vacuum Coaters fortheir graciuos support.

References1. W.R. Hunter, “Measurement of optical properties

in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region”,Applied Optics, Vol. 21, No. 12, 1982.

2. I. Herman, Optical diagnostics for thin filmprocessing, p. 34-35, Academic Press, SanDiego, 1995.

3. R. Robinson, R.L. Sandberg, D.D. Allred, A.L.Jackson, J.E. Johnson, W. Evans, T. Doughty,A.E. Baker, K.R. Adamson, A. Jacquier,“Removing surface contaminants from siliconwafers to facilitate EUV optical characteriza-tion”, 47th Annual Technical ConferenceProceedings of the Society of Vacuum Coaters,47, 368, 2004.


Measuring Film Thicknessof Ultrathin Metallic ThinFilms Using Atomic ForceMicroscopycontinued from page 37

(a)

i

ii

iii

iv

vi

(c)

(b)

vii

(d)

Figure 9. a) This is an extreme close-up of the contact area between the SFD and the substrate, prior to bladecontact being made. The components of the system are: i) substrate, ii) hydrocarbon contaminant (whosethickness is severely exaggerated), iii) razor blade mask, iv) SFD body, and v) securing plate. b) The blade pushesthrough the soft hydrocarbon layer as contact is made. The force necessary to secure the SFD to the substratecauses the blade to buckle slightly, where vii) identifies the position of the undisturbed blade. The thickness of thehydrocarbon in front of the blade may increase as the blade slides over the surface. c) A thin film (whose thicknessis also severely exaggerated) is deposited, and both the substrate and SFD become coated. d) Removal of the SFDleaves a step which will be measured by AFM. Notice the contribution of the hydrocarbon underneath the film tothe step height.

SVC 2004 Scholarship Winner

Guillermo was raised in the Rio Grande valley between LasCruces, NM and El Paso, TX, where his family farms pecans,

alfalfa, and cotton. On weekends and holidays from school,he would work in the fields, though later came to repair and

maintain the tractors and equipment. In high school, hisartwork won several awards, for which he soon started abusiness. He has earned a Bachelor’s of Science inmathematics, a Master’s of science in Physics, and iscurrently a doctoral student of physics at BrighamYoung University in Provo, UT. As a senior studentmember of the thin films research group, he studiesthe optical properties of ultrathin films and theiroxides in the extreme ultraviolet.

Guillermo welcomes the challenges of being anexperimentalist, as it often leads him to the machineshop in search of the solution. He is an avid hot rodenthusiast, as he usually has at least a couple mid-to-full custom projects to work on in the evenings.Guillermo also appreciates music of all sorts, is a selftaught guitar player, spends time in the kitchen tryingto reproduce his mother’s dishes and refining hisown, is an active rock climber, and volunteers withnon-profit groups dedicated to assisting minority

students at all levels.

Guillermo Acosta


Attendance Data: Just over 1,350 peopleattended the SVC Exhibit in Denver. 22% of theattendees and 57% of the speakers in thetechnical sessions were from countries outsidethe USA. There was an increase in participationfrom Asia and Pacific Rim countries.

New Exhibit Guide: 68% of the exhibitorsresponding to the Post TechCon web basedsurvey thought that the advance mailing of theExhibit Guide increased booth traffic.

Lead Retrieval: 57% of the respondents thoughtthat SVC should provide an electronic-based LeadRetrieval System.

Future Sites: 82% of the respondents thoughtthat their overall experience as an exhibitor inDenver was either excellent or good. Chicagoand Santa Clara are other top choices for thefuture location of the SVC Exhibit by bothexhibitors and TechCon attendees.

SVC exhibitors were asked:

What did you like best about the 2005 SVCExhibit in Denver?• Many exhibitors said that they really liked the

Denver site for the SVC Exhibit. They saidthat it was centrally located and convenientfor West coast attendees. The hotel waswithin walking distance of many activities,including restaurants and shops.

• Well organized.• Good quality leads.• Number of exhibits. Although the show was in

two halls and some attendees were confused,the size of the show gave it a feeling ofsubstance.

• It seemed that the exhibit was well thoughtout, good resources and excellent flow ofpeople.

• Constant traffic and beer breaks. Two drinkcoupons would be better.

• Good food and display service.• Only participated in the exhibits, but I think

they were as well done as could be. • Adam's Mark is a great hotel.• The hotel being close to local businesses.• Nothing really stood out to me. The contacts

made were valuable as usual.• SVC is a great show for my product line.• The friendly SVC people.• Excellent traffic!

• Excellent papers and courses. Exhibits werewell attended. Food Monday night wasawesome!

• The dinner reception on Monday night, andthe beer blast on Tuesday night.

• Everyone was extremely helpful.• Organization of this event.• Good traffic and leads.• Good consolidation for traffic flow and events.• It was very well organized.• Conference schedule was very well organized.• The quality of people that attended our booth.• Exhibit Hall was very nice and well lit; it was

easy to walkthrough.• Number of key people in attendance.• The attendees seemed to be greater and have

more interest in our units than the attendeesin Dallas.

• It is a forum for personal communication• The atmosphere and the great selection of

high quality topics.• Very good organization of the exhibition, nice

location, good papers.• Exhibit layout.• Convenience, overall show preparation and

management.• Well organized and well attended.• We were extremely busy and have a lot of new

business based on the contacts we made. Itgave us an opportunity to interface with anumber of our clients and we made new leads.

• Contacts.• Organization.• Decent, positive booth traffic. • It was a well attended show and provided us

with some good quality leads.• The show was well organized and the SVC

people were very helpful.• Good traffic at our booth.• Convenient hotel/convention combination.• Good to see the latest technology and network

within the industry.

SVC exhibitors were asked:

Do you have suggestions on how to improve theSVC Exhibit?• Use facility in which the exhibit hall is closer

to technical session rooms. • Use of two different exhibit halls was

inconvenient.

• Do away with the standing dinner. It isuncomfortable to eat standing and any timeyou eat in the booth, a customer appearswhen you are chewing! But the food was verygood.

• Choose cities that are geographically locatednear centers of the industry.

• Ensure the technical session attendees takebreaks in the show area.

• Make the company name on the badges atleast as large as the person’s name.Exhibitors need to be able to read thecompany name from a distance as attendeesare walking through the show.

• Electronic based card readers for leadretrieval is needed.

• Change show times around a bit—running to7 p.m. seems a waste.

• It was disappointing to have things happeningin two separate buildings.

• Provide some non-sweet drinks like iced tea(unsweetened) and plain waters.

• Give people more time to visit the exhibit(allow for longer breaks).

• Keep exhibit hours between 10:00 a.m. and6:00.p.m.

• The exhibit was very good, but often therewas a paper of great interest that conflicted.

• Try to separate the exhibit times from thepapers, too many people want to see both anddo not have the time.

• Compared to other exhibits that I go to, Iwould like to say the SVC is the best. Ibelieve that the SVC does an excellent job.You get attendees and circulate them thoughthe exhibit hall. It is interesting for theattendees to come to the exhibits because ofall the perks (food) available to them in thehall. This is also nice for the exhibitors.Thank you.

• Can you provide lunch each day? It is so busy,that it is hard to get lunch otherwise. Thiswould be more useful to us than the dinnersince we like to take customers out to dine.

• If the exhibit occurred at the end of the SVCconference, attendees could utilize technicalsession information to follow up withexhibitors who are pertinent to the technicalpaper presentation.

• Consider booking at three fixed site locationsin rotation.

2005 SVC TechCon Exhibit in DenverSurvey Results and Overview

“The 2005 SVC exhibit was Denton Vacuum's most successful showever. The show was flawlessly organized and booth traffic was an all time

high. It was the first show in memory where new sales opportunitiespresented themselves at the show. The Techcon will likely play a major

role in making 2005 Denton's best year ever.”Frank Zimone, President of Denton Vacuum, LLC

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Reactive sputtering occurs when a gas such asoxygen or nitrogen is purposely added to the

sputtering atmosphere to react with thesputtered material. Reactive sputtering has beenpracticed for about as long as sputtering hasbeen practiced. In fact, the first reportedincidence of sputtering by Grove [1] in all likeli-hood was actually reactive sputtering due to poorvacuum conditions. Today, reactive magnetronsputtering is very widely used in the architecturalglass, roll coating, microelectronic, opticalcoating, tribological coating, and functionalcoating industries to deposit a wide variety ofnitride and oxide coatings.

Although reactive sputtering is widelypracticed, it still faces the basic reactivesputtering problem; i.e., not only does thereactive gas combine with the sputtered materialto form a compound coating on the substrate, butthis same compound can and usually does formon the target surface as well, which leads to aloss of deposition rate and may lead to areduction in the film properties. When flowcontrol of the reactive gas is used with constantpower to the target, initially there is very littlechange in the reactive gas partial pressure fromthe background level until a sufficiently high flowof the reactive gas is achieved (shown in Figure1) [2]. However, when the compound initiallystarts to form on the target surface at the edgesof the racetrack, the amount of target materialbeing sputtered is less because of the lowersputtering rate for the compound material.Because less target material is being sputtered,less reactive gas is consumed in the reaction, andits partial pressure increases rapidly for thereactive sputtering of titanium in anargon/nitrogen atmosphere (as shown in Figure1). When the compound completely covers thetarget surface, the target is said to be “fullypoisoned,” and the deposition rate is very low

compared to the rate for the elemental target.When the flow of the reactive gas is reduced

from the poisoned state, it takes a while to breakthrough the compound material, and the partialpressure is higher during the reduction of theflow of the reactive gas for a given partialpressure until the target surface is completelyback to the fully unpoisoned state. As more ofthe elemental material is sputtered during thereduction of the reactive gas flow, the depositionrate increases until it is back to the full metaldeposition rate when the target is completelyunpoisoned.

What can be done about the loss of deposi-tion rate by poisoning? One thing to do is to livewith it. Once the target becomes poisoned, theprocess is slow but steady, and the film proper-ties are reproducible even though they may notbe ideal [3]. The only exception to the processbeing steady is if there is arcing on the target.However, arcing issues can be prevented orsuppressed with the “right kind of power,” whichwill be the subject of a future article.

The other way to handle the loss of rate andfilm property issues that can occur duringreactive sputtering is to actively control thepartial pressure of the reactive gas during thedeposition of the film (flow control). Such activecontrol requires a partial pressure controller anda sensor for the reactive gas. Commonly usedsensors are mass spectrometry, optical emissionspectrometry, lambda sensor, and cathode voltagesignal (which, although not a direct partialpressure signal, can change significantly as thereactive gas partial pressure changes for somematerials such as aluminum sputtered in anargon/oxygen atmosphere) [4].

When the partial pressure of the reactivegas is actively controlled, it is possible to operateat any point along the transition curve, from themetallic state of the target to the fully poisonedstate (shown in Figure 2) for the reactivesputtering of titanium in an argon/nitrogenatmosphere. What is noticeable right away fromFigure 2 is that there is no abrupt transition fromthe metallic state of the target to the fullypoisoned state. By limiting the availability of thereactive gas with the partial pressure controlsystem, it is possible to select the operating pointanywhere along the curve, and by doing so toselect the deposition rate and film properties.Experience shows that one tries to operate at aslow a partial pressure as possible to achieve thehighest deposition rate, while still achieving thedesired film properties. For reactively sputteredTiN, it is possible to deposit stoichiometric TiN atthe full metal deposition rate [5]. There is noloss of rate in this case. For a material such asaluminum oxide, it can be reactively sputtered at

a rate equal to 70% of the metal deposition rateas long as the partial pressure of the reactive gasis controlled [3]. This rate should be comparedto a rate of only 2 to 3% of the metal depositionrate in the fully poisoned state.

The advantages of controlling the partialpressure of the reactive gas during reactivesputtering can be very significant in a productionenvironment where throughput is very important.Not only can high deposition rates be obtainedcompared to operating in the poisoned state, butthe film also can be significantly better quality ashas been demonstrated for the reactivesputtering of aluminum oxide [3]. In the opinionof this author, if you are going to make a livingfrom reactive sputtering, you should be control-ling the partial pressure of the reactive gasduring your reactive depositions.

References1. W.R. Grove, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. 142 (1852)

87.

2. W.D. Sproul, “Wear of Sputter DepositedRefractory - Metal Nitride Coatings,” in Physicsand Chemistry of Protective Coatings, Edited byW. D. Sproul, J. E. Greene, and J. A. Thornton,American Institute of Physics ConferenceProceedings, No. 149, New York (1986) pp. 157-172.

3. W.D. Sproul and B. E. Sylvia, “Multi-LevelControl for Reactive Sputtering,” 45th AnnualTechnical Conference Proceedings of theSociety of Vacuum Coaters, Orlando, FL (April2002), pp. 11-15.

4. W.D. Sproul, D. J. Christie, and D. C. Carter, “AMulti-Zone, Multi-Gas Reactive SputteringControl System,” submitted for publication inthe 48th Annual Technical ConferenceProceedings of the Society of Vacuum Coaters,Denver, CO (April 24-28, 2005).

5. W.D. Sproul, “Very High Rate ReactiveSputtering of TiN, ZrN, and HfN,” Thin SolidFilms, 107 (1983) 141.

For further information, William (Bill) Sproul can bereached at [email protected].

Figure 2. Reactive sputtering of titanium in anargon/nitrogen atmosphere with partial pressurecontrol of the nitrogen gas.

Figure 1. Reactive sputtering of titanium in anargon/nitrogen atmosphere with flow control of thereactive gas. From [2].

Reactive Sputtering: Flow or Partial Pressure Control,Which One to Use?by William D. SproulReactive Sputtering Consulting, LLC, Fort Collins, CO Contributed Original Article

Bring Coursesto Your Facilityand educate yourteam at areasonable cost

For an up-to-date list of coursedescriptions and instructorbiographical sketches, pleasevisit the SVC Web Site atwww.svc.org and explore the“Education Programs” button onthe main page.

For technical questionsregarding the course content,contact the SVC AdministrativeOffice at [email protected],or Fax 505/856-6716.

www.svc.org

SVC—Your Best Resource for On-SiteEducation on Vacuum Coating TechnologiesA strong commitment to education is part of SVC’s Charter. When you decide to bring courses toyour facility, you can be assured of high-quality, practical courses taught by recognized industry experts.Courses are designed for the novice as well as for the seasoned professional.

At Your Organization—The SVC On-Site Education ProgramThis program provides cost-effective training by eliminating time away from work, travelexpenses, and individual course attendance fees. The SVC offers courses to organizations subject toinstructor availability and certain other conditions. Contact SVC for pricing information and to scheduleone or more courses at your location. It is a great bargain in this economic climate.

SVC Course RosterV-201 High Vacuum System OperationV-202 Vacuum System Gas AnalysisV-203 Vacuum Materials and Large System PerformanceV-206 Practical Helium Leak Detection WorkshopV-207 Practical Aspects of Vacuum Technology: Operation and Maintenance of Production Vacuum

SystemsV-301 Care and Feeding of Mechanical Pumping SystemsV-304 Cryogenic High Vacuum PumpsC-101 Primer on Thin Films and Vacuum TechnologyC-102 Introduction to Evaporation and SputteringC-103 An Introduction to Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)

ProcessesC-203 Sputter DepositionC-207 Evaporation as a Deposition ProcessC-208 Sputter Deposition in ManufacturingC-209 Material Science Aspects of Plasma ProcessingC-210 Introduction to Plasma Processing TechnologyC-212 Troubleshooting for Thin Film Deposition ProcessesC-213 Introduction to Smart MaterialsC-301 Optical Coating Design and MonitoringC-302 Preparation and Properties of Optical Thin Film MaterialsC-303 Design and Manufacture of Optical Coatings Using Computer MethodsC-306 Nonconventional Plasma Sources and Methods in Processing TechnologyC-307 Cathodic Arc Plasma DepositionC-308 Tribological CoatingsC-310 Plasma Immersion Techniques for Surface EngineeringC-311 Thin Film Growth and Microstructure EvolutionC-312 Process Control for Applications in Large Area SputteringM-101 Basic Principles of Color Measurement

Course Classification SystemThe course codes are intended to provide the prospective attendee with some guidance asto whether the emphasis in the course is primarily on vacuum technology (V code), or

vacuum deposition coating processes and technology (C code), or other miscellaneoustopics (M code). The course number is intended to indicate the level of course special-

ization—the lower numbers refer to courses that are basic or introductory in nature,and the higher numbers refer to courses that offer a more specialized treatment of a

specific topic.

The conference of the Applied Physics andTechnology Division of the Institute of Physics onNovel Applications of Surface Modification willbe held in Chester, United Kingdom onSeptember 18–21, 2005. Conference details canbe found at the conference Web Site athttp://conferences.iop.org/APTD.

The International conference on SuperhardCoatings will be held in Ein-Gedi, Israel onFebruary 27–March 1, 2006. The focus of theconference is nanostructured coatings withimproved mechanical or tribological properties,and coatings with hardness exceeding 40 GPa.Papers are solicited on all subjects relevant tosuperhard coatings. The abstract deadline isNovember 1, 2005. Conference details andpreliminary registration can be found atwww.hardcoat.com

Frontiers in Optics 2005 and Laser ScienceXXI will be held October 16-20, 2005 at theHilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and TennisResort, Tucson, Arizona. Connect with the mostaccomplished international scientists,researchers, engineers, and business leaders asthey shape the future of optics, photonics, andlaser science.

• Featuring the latest research in opticscovering more than 40 topics across 7 OSAdivisions and 9 topics within Laser Scienceincluding an overarching Nanophotonicstheme

• Learn from the experts and attend the jointplenary session and special symposia

• Explore the hottest optics and laserdevelopments, trends, technologies andapplications

• Reap the benefits of professionalnetworking opportunities includingtechnical and poster sessions led by theworld's most respected optics experts

• Attend the FiO ’05 Exhibit showcasingleading companies within the industry

• Take advantage of opportunities to connectwith colleagues

Visit www.frontiersinoptics.org to obtain detailson this conference.

The AVS 52nd International Symposium will beheld October 30-November 4, 2005 in the HynesConvention Center, Boston, MA. Topics include:Advanced Surface Engineering; Applied SurfaceScience; Biomaterial Interfaces; ElectronicMaterials and Processing; Magnetic Interfacesand Nanostructures; MEMS and NEMS;Manufacturing Science and Technology;Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology;Plasma Science and Technology; Surface Science;Technology for Sustainability; Thin Films; andVacuum Technology. Topical Conferences will be

held on the following topics: DNA; Renewableand Alternate Energy; Science of SemiconductorWhite Light. Special Sessions will be held on:Biomaterials Plenary Session. For further detailsvisit the AVS Web Site at www.avs.org.

Report from the InternationalSymposium on Advanced Technology ofCoatings on Glass and Plastic Materials

On March 15 and 16, 2005, nearly 100 scientistsand engineers and students from Japan, the EU,and the USA met in the auditorium of theAoyama Gakuin University on the Aoyama-Campus to discuss advanced coating technologiesfor large-volume markets on glass and plastics.

Two full days of presentations were made byinternational experts covering PVD, CVD, and Sol-Gel coating technologies. This Joint Symposiumwas organized under the auspices of the Japanese21st Century Center of Excellence (COE)Program along with the International OrganizingCommittee of the International Conference onCoatings on Glass (ICCG).

The Conference Chairs were Dr. Koichi Suzuki(SurFtech Transnational Co., Ltd.) along withProfessor Yuzo Shigesato and Dr. Y. Sato (AoyamaGakuin University).

In 2002, Aoyama Gakuin University was selectedby the Japanese Government for inclusion in the21st Century Center of Excellence (COE)Program. This program funded an activity at theAoyama University entitled “New FunctionalMaterials for Highly Efficient Energy Systems.”The primary goal of this program is to developclean energy resources and novel functionalmaterials including the refinement of knownmaterials for energy-efficient applications. Asecondary goal of the program involves thetraining of graduate student researchers. Thisresearch program is carried out on a multidisci-plinary basis, with collaboration by researchers inthe fields of solid state physics, chemistry,electronics, and electrical and mechanicalengineering. All researchers are focused onfinding solutions to the growing energy problem.

Welcoming remarks were made by ProfessorKiyohiko Uozumi, Vice President of AoyamaGakuin University, who provided an overview ofthe University and the various Universityprograms including the COE. Prof. Uozumi alsoobserved that motto of the Aoyama University is“The Salt of the Earth – The Light of the World”and encouraged the researchers and students towork toward using their knowledge to improvesociety and achieve energy efficiencies.

Topics covered at the Symposium includedsurveys of Coating Technologies including thecurrent status of the fields of magnetron

Society and Industry NewsBoard of DirectorsPresident

Clark Bright3M [email protected]

Vice PresidentPeter MartinBattelle Pacific Northwest [email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentJohn T. FeltsNano Scale Surface Systems, [email protected]

SecretaryDavid A. GlockerIsoflux [email protected]

TreasurerMichael AndreasenVACUUM COATING Technologies, [email protected]

DirectorsHana BaránkováUppsala [email protected]

David J. ChristieAdvanced Energy Industries, [email protected]

Wolfgang DeckerValue Added Surface [email protected]

Pamela DiesingSAGE industrial sales, [email protected]

Ludvik MartinuÉcole [email protected]

Paolo RaugeiGalileo Vacuum Systems, [email protected]

Vasgen ShamamianDow Corning [email protected]

Douglas SmithVacuum Process Technology, [email protected]

Edward J. WegenerAFG Industries, [email protected]

Frank ZimoneDenton Vacuum, [email protected]

SVC Administrative Offices71 Pinon Hill Place NEAlbuquerque, NM 87122-1914

Telephone 505/856-7188 Fax 505/856-6716E-mail [email protected] Site www.svc.org

Executive DirectorVivienne Harwood Mattox

Technical DirectorDonald M. Mattox



sputtering, reactive ion plating, plasma-enhancedCVD, plasma impulse CVD, atmospheric pressureCVD, and Sol Gel coating, as well as a review ofmaterials such as transparent conductive oxidesand photoactive materials and coatings forapplications such as display and automotive.

Presentations of note were made by ProfessorPulker, University of Vienna, Austria, wholectured on “Density Related Properties of MetalOxide Films” and Professor Shigesato AoyamaGakuin University, Japan, who presented alecture on “Ultra High-Rate Deposition of TiO2

and ITO films by Reactive Magnetron Sputteringwith Unipolar Pulsing and Plasma EmissionControl System.” Finally, Dr. Guenter Braeuer,Fraunhofer FEP/IST, Germany, announced theupcoming 6th ICCG in June 2006 in Dresden,Germany.

Poster presentations were also made by theAoyama graduate students in a special PosterSession dedicated to reviewing investigations ofcoating processes and materials characteriza-tions. These were solid presentations, and theposters were very professional. The studentswere confident and able to discuss their work .

As part of this Symposium, SVC made a donationof CD-ROMs of the Proceedings of previous SVCTechCons to the Aoyama Graduate students.

We wish these students well in their studies andhope to see some of them sharing their work aspresenters in upcoming SVC TechCons.

Further information on this Symposium can beobtained from the Conference Chairs:

• Dr. K. Suzuki: [email protected]• Prof. Y. Shigesato: [email protected]• Dr. Y. [email protected].

Report provided by Ric Shimshock, MLD TechnologiesLLC ([email protected]).

Report from the 4th InternationalSymposium on Transparent OxideThin Films for Electronics and Optics(TOEO-4)

Alternatives to ITO?Over 100 researchers, engineers, and studentsmet on April 7 and 8, 2005, in the auditorium ofTokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International ExhibitionCenter), Japan, to review and chronicle thestatus the field of transparent conductive oxides(TCO). This has become an important globaltopic because the demand for indium is soaring,and sources of supply appear restricted. Thedisplay industry is actively searching for alternatematerials. The TOEO conference has becomeone of the premier forums for discussion of thistopic

This 4th International conference was sponsoredby the 166th Committee on Photonics &Electronic Oxide, Japan Society for thePromotion of Science (JSPG), and Co-sponsoredby the International Ceramics Exhibition 2005.

The Organizing Committee for this Symposiumwas composed of Professor Yuzo Shigesato,Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan; ProfessorKunjisuke Maki, Yokohama City University, Japan;Professor Hideo Hosono, Tokyo Institute ofTechnology, Japan; and Dr. David S. Ginley(National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),USA. Topics included presentations on theory,basic materials including new TCO materials forboth n and p electrodes, nanomaterial formula-tions, devices including photocatalysts, and dye-sensitized solar cells, and various display applica-tions. Of special interest were reports on transi-tion metal doped indium oxide and indium zincoxide as next potential generation TCOs.

For more information please contact ProfessorShigesato at [email protected], or visitthe TOEO-4 Web Site athttp://toeo4.msl.titech.ac.jp.

A Perspective from Professor YuzoShigesato

ITO - Thin-Film Transparent Conductors:Microstructure and Processing Physical vapor deposition is used for the growthof thin-film ITO on suitable substrates. ITO is anessential component in many important technolo-gies, including flat-panel display devices, whereITO is used as an electrode because it is bothtransparent to visible light and has a relativelylow electrical resistivity.


Corporate Sponsors3M Company

Academy Precision MaterialsAdvanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Applied Films Corporation*Astron Advanced Materials, Ltd.

Automated Vacuum Systems, Inc.Bekaert

Bekaert Specialty Films, LLCBOC Edwards*

CeramTec North AmericaComdel, Inc.

CPFilms, Inc.*Darly Custom Technology, Inc.

Denton Vacuum, LLC*Dexter Magnetic Technologies, Inc.

DynaVacEddy Company

Engelhard CorporationESK Ceramics USA

Ferrotec (USA) CorporationFil-Tech, Inc.

Flex Products, Inc.*Galileo Vacuum Systems, Inc.*

GENERAL Vacuum Equipment Ltd.*Goodfellow Corporation

Hanwha L&C CorporationHauzer Techno Coating BV

Helix Technology Corporation*Heraeus Incorporated

Huettinger Electronic, Inc.IonBond LLC

ITN Energy Systems, Inc.Jeol Ltd.

Kurt J. Lesker CompanyLeybold Optics USA, Inc.

Materials Science International, Inc.MDC Vacuum Products Corporation

MeiVac, Inc.Micro Photonics, Inc.

Mill Lane Engineering Company, Inc.Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc.MKS Instruments, Inc.*

Mustang Vacuum Systems LLCNor-Cal Products, Inc.

Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.Pfeiffer Vacuum, Inc.*

Plasma Surface Engineering CorporationPolycold Systems Inc.*Process Materials, Inc.

Providence Metallizing Company, Inc.*PTB Sales, Inc.

PVT, Plasma and Vacuum Technologies LLCR.D. Mathis Company

Research and PVD Materials CorporationSage industrial sales, inc.*Semicore Equipment, Inc.SHI-APD Cryogenics, Inc.

Singulus Technologies, Inc.Soleras Ltd.*

Southwall Technologies*Sputtering Materials, Inc.

Steag HamaTech AGTelemark

Thermionics Vacuum ProductsThin Film Center, Inc.

Thin Film Technology, Inc.Tico Titanium, Inc.

Toray Plastics (America), Inc.ULVAC Technologies, Inc.

Umicore Thin Film ProductsVacuCoat Technologies, Inc.*

VACUUM COATING Technologies, Inc.Vacuum Engineering & Materials Company, Inc.

Vacuum Process Technology, Inc.Varian Inc., Vacuum Technologies

VAT, Inc.Vergason Technology, Inc.

VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbHWilliams Advanced Materials, Inc.

Yeagle Technology, Inc.

* Charter Corporate Sponsor

Bold indicates new 2004/2005 Corporate Sponsors


Applied Films has introduced a new, sputterdeposition machine for 2-layer electroplatedadhesive-less flexible copper clad laminates,which form the basic material for FPC. Compactdesigned modern high tec products such asmobile phones, notebooks, or palmtops requireincreased packing densities of electroniccomponents with conductors of less than 10-micrometer width and distance. This require-ment is met by a new generation of FlexiblePrinted Circuits (FPC), the High DensityInterconnects (HDI-FPC). Producing the finestructures of HDI-FPC in high volume demandsfor highly precise and inexpensive manufacturingprocesses. With sputtering technology, AppliedFilms offers manufacturers of FPC a betteralternative to the commonly used cast andlaminating processes for flexible copper cladlaminates (FCCL). According to TechSearch

Market Analysis, the market for HDI-FPC hasgrown from 4 Billion US-Dollar volume in 2002 to6 Billion US-Dollar in 2004. These figurescorrespond with an increase of the yearly outputof flexible copper laminates from 5 Million m2 in2002 to 9 Million m2 in 2004. The majority offlexible copper clad laminates (47%) areproduced by electrodeposition (ED), which canbe achieved by using Electroless Cu or sputteringCu as the seed layer. Sputtered technology onlyaccounts for 5% of ED material but Electroless Cuis quite expensive due to the many productionsteps, because it is a wet chemistry process itimpacts the humidity of the PI and can haveenvironmental impact. The balance of FPCBs isproduced using cast polyimide (PI) technology(44%) or lamination of copper foil and PI film(9%). As the requirements become morestringent for FPCBs, the potential for sputtered

The current trend toward higher-quality flat-panel devices has led to new display technologieswith a much thinner electrode width andconsequent demands for further optimization ofITO materials properties and processing. Thesenew and demanding technologies require evenlower film resistivity, and this must be achievedat lower substrate temperatures during deposi-tion. The requirement for lower depositiontemperatures derives from device designs thatcall for the deposition of ITO films on polymercolor filters and other polymer films that cannotsurvive vacuum processing temperatures above100–200 degrees Celsius. Meeting this demandrequires the application of new PVD techniquesthat include various plasma and energetic ionprocesses because, under conventional sputteringor reactive evaporation deposition conditions, at

substrate temperatures below 150 degrees Celsiusthe deposited films are typically amorphous andhave undesirable properties. Utilization ofplasma-enhanced processes provides a route tothe formation of high-quality crystalline materialsat low substrate deposition temperatures.

A variety of techniques [EB evaporation, high-density plasma-enhanced (HDPE) evaporation,and low-voltage D.C. magnetron sputtering(DCSP)] have been used to deposit ITO thinfilms. These techniques were selected becausethey show the effect of ion bombardment on thegrowth surface with ion energies ranging fromvery low (EB evaporation) to relatively high(DCSP, where ions are accelerated to close to thecathode potential of 100–300 eV). What isremarkable is that despite the great differencesbetween DCSP and HDPE, they both result in adistinctive microstructure, the origin of whichcan be traced to the effect of the bombardment ofthe growth surface by energetic particles duringgrowth.

Society and Industry Newscontinued from page 43

Corporate Sponsor News

Corporate Sponsor ProfileMustang Vacuum Systems, LLC

Mustang Vacuum Systems is focused on bringing innovative products and superiorcustomer service to the vacuum coating industry, while meeting customers’ needs withhigh-throughput, and efficient reliable equipment that can be customized for specific use.

Products include: Fast-cycle Small-batch Sputtering Systems, High-speed PECVD BatchMetallizers, "Plug & Play" Optical Coating Systems, and Magnetron Cathodes.Customization: Mustang can alter any component to tailor a system to a customer’sspecific needs.

Mustang Vacuum Systems, LLC, located in Sarasota, Florida is an extension of a largeraffiliate, Mustang Dynamometer. The Mustang Group has been in business for nearly 20years. A global leader, Mustang builds machines for automotive manufacturers, OEM’s,Tier One suppliers, R&D houses, and other companies throughout the world.

For more information, go to www.mustangvac.com or call 941/377-1440.


technology to replace and improve commonlyused manufacturing process is huge. Roll-to-rollfilm coating is a cost effective preferred andproven production technology. Sputtered copperseed layers can be metallized onto all dielectricfilm from 2 to 100 mm in a dry, environment-friendly process. The sputtered layers show agood adhesion (peeling strength) due to the highenergy of the sputtered copper atoms. Theadhesion of the copper layer resists the hightemperature loads of the high packaging densityof the HDI-FPC.

Bekaert, a European-based company headquar-tered in Belgium, has expanded its customerservice team for sputter products. The team isexpanding worldwide to meet increasing marketdemand. New personnel have been assigned tocustomer service positions and new customerservice centers that are located strategicallyworldwide. The expansion of Bekaert’s customerservice team will help meet the needs of thegrowing rate of industrial customers who arecurrently installing and operating the company’ssputter products (sputter targets, end blocks,magnet bars, sputter electronics, and completesputter cathodes).

The Bekaert technology allows a switch fromplanar to rotatable targets and offers lower cost

of ownership through longer production runs,faster coating deposition, and more complete useof coating material on glass. Bekaert has built upits experience in this field through its ownsputter activity on plastic foil for window filmand for industrial applications. Bekaert was thefirst to bring rotatable targets on the market andhas developed the necessary sputter equipmentto effectively use these targets on glass coatinglines all over the world.

Industrial customers who execute a coatingprocess for applications such as architectural andautomotive glass (such as low-E and solar controlfilms, and antireflective coatings), display glass,and photovoltaic glass, can capitalize onBekaert’s technology.

Peter Andries, customer service technician, is awelcome addition to Bekaert’s Spring Green, WIfacility. Andries will provide on-site technicaltraining and is responsible for all technicalsupport for end blocks, magnet bars, powersupplies, and sputter cathodes in use throughoutNorth America, including Mexico. Bekaert hasadded a new market manager, David Verhenne,who will focus on excellent customer serviceneeds in Europe. Verhenne, a long-timeemployee of Bekaert, is based at the companyheadquarters in Deinze, Belgium. To meet rapidgrowth in the Asian market, Bekaert is planningto open a Customer Service and MaintenanceCenter in Suzhou, China in Q2 2005. At this newservice center, Bekaert’s sputter products team

will supply Asian glass coaters with state-of-the-art end block maintenance and technicalsupport. Yuan Polin, customer service techni-cian, will provide service for Bekaert’s Asianmarket.

CeramTec North America (CTNA), the worldleader in the manufacturing of hermeticallysealed electrical and optical components, hasnamed Tecnovac, S.L. as distributor for Spain andPortugal. Tecnovac has been a leading distrib-utor of vacuum equipment and technology inSpain since 1996. They represent other qualityvacuum equipment or component manufacturersin the Spanish market. The Tecnovac headquar-ters is located in Madrid, Spain and they have asales office in Portugal. Their capabilities extendfrom design and manufacture of specialty vacuumsystems for R&D applications to specifying pumpsand components for OEM vacuum coating plantsand cryogenic applications.

CeramTec North America is pleased toannounce that Brent Pahach has joined thecompany as the new Director of Operations andDon Moore has joined the company as theManufacturing Manager for Hermetic Products.CeramTec North America’s newly designed andexpanded website is making it easier forcustomers to review thousands of products, findtechnical specifications & reference materials,download literature, obtain pricing informationand/or order online. The new CeramTec North

Corporate Sponsor Newscontinued from page 44



America website – www2.ceramtec.com – consoli-dates product information previously offered onthree different websites dedicated to thecompany’s technical ceramic products, hermetic(Ceramaseal®) products and cutting tool (SPK®)products.

The SAE 2005 World Congress in Detroit will bethe site of the unveiling of the formula-styleracing car conceived, designed, and fabricated bya team of SAE student members at the Universityof Waterloo (Canada) and sponsored byGoodfellow. Goodfellow, a global supplier ofmetals and materials, is a Silver Sponsor of theFormula SAE team, having contributed carbonfiber/vinylester tubing used in the chassis of theracing car. Carbon fiber/vinylester compositematerials are known for their high strength-to-weight ratio. This was an important considerationfor the University of Waterloo team, one of whosegoals was to fabricate a chassis that was 3 kgslighter and 50 percent stiffer than that of their2004 racing car. Following its unveiling in April,the car will be part of the Formula SAE competi-tion at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac,Michigan, in May, and the Formula Student(European) competition in England in July.Formula SAE is the largest and most competitivestudent vehicle design competition in the worldand involves approximately 120 vehicles fromcolleges and universities internationally. Theevent is hosted annually by the Society ofAutomotive Engineers (SAE).

The new Directory of Metals & Materials is nowavailable from Goodfellow, the world’s leadingsupplier of small quantities of metals andmaterials for scientists and engineers. TheDirectory contains a wealth of information aboutthe pure metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, andcomposites available from Goodfellow – all in anextremely wide range of forms and sizes. Almost40,000 items are listed, along with physical,

electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, asappropriate, and comparative data tables.

Kurt J. Lesker Company announces a corporaterestructuring creating three separate divisions toenhance the company’s ability to serve existingand future customers. The Vacuum Mart Divisionhandles sales of distributed products and theOnline Vacuum Mart. This division specificallyoffers: pumps; valves; hardware; components;gauges; manipulation devices; fluids/oils; andpower supplies for all vacuum applications.Vacuum Mart is managed by John Lubic, VicePresident of Global Sales. KJLC’s MaterialsDivision is one of the larger suppliers of puretargets and materials for production and R&Dapplications. Bob Wright is the Group Managerof the Materials Division. KJLC’s new ProcessEquipment Division amalgamates the originalSystems group and Chambers/Sub-Assembliesgroup. The new division still designs andmanufactures turnkey deposition systems to suitalmost any thin film application and a full line ofmagnetron sputtering sources. Duane Bingaman,originally VP of the Systems group, assumedmanagement responsibility for this new division.

Pfeiffer Vacuum announces the release of itsnew 2005–2007 Vacuum Catalog. The four-color,hardcover catalog covers the complete range ofvacuum technology, including equipment forproducing, controlling, and measuring vacuum, aswell as accessories and components. An onlineversion of the catalog is available at www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com.

Toray Plastics (America), Inc. has beendesignated one of “America’s HealthiestCompanies” by the Wellness Council of America(WELCOA). The national organization’s presti-gious “Gold Well Workplace” Award was presentedon May 26 to Hiroshi Ogihara, president, TorayPlastics (America), Inc. at a WELCOA luncheon.The Gold Award recognizes companies that havesuccessfully built comprehensive worksitewellness initiatives, and that demonstrate andcapture concrete outcomes related to behaviorchange, cost effectiveness, and return on invest-

Corporate Sponsor Newscontinued from page 45

�Thank You� TechCon Event SponsorsThe SVC would like to thank the companies sponsoring the following hospitalities for all TechCon attendees.

Refreshment Break Sponsors• A&N Corporation• Academy Precision Materials• Duniway Stockroom Corporation• Hauzer Techno Coating bv

Internet Café Sponsors• Automated Vacuum Systems, Inc.• Varian Inc.

Heuréka! Session Sponsor• Helix Technology Corporation

Beer Blast Sponsors• 6th Sense Automation (previously

Rohwedder, Inc.)• Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.• Dexter Magnetic Technologies, Inc.• DynaVac• GENERAL Vacuum Equipment Ltd.• Heraeus Incorporated• Huettinger Electronic, Inc.• KDF

• MKS Instruments, Inc.• Niles Machine & Tool Works, Inc.• Rocky Brook Associates, Inc.• SHI - APD Cryogenics, Inc.• VEECO Instruments, Inc.• Ziyax, Inc.

For information on sponsorship at the 2006 TechCon, contact the SVC at [email protected] or 505/856-7188. SVCwould also like to acknowledge Alcatel, Applied Films, Bekaert, and VACUUM COATING Technologies, Inc., forsupporting the society by booking their private food and beverage functions in the SVC Headquarters hotel.


ment. David M. Hunnicutt, Ph.D., president ofthe Wellness Councils of America, said in a letterto Toray Plastics (America), Inc., that by success-fully meeting rigorous health promotionstandards, the company is demonstrating itscommitment to improving the health and well-being of its most valuable asset—its employees.

Toray Plastics (America), Inc., has been namedthe 2004 “Supplier of the Year” by Frito-Lay, adivision of PepsiCo. Toray Plastics (America), Inc.works with Frito-Lay to develop innovative snackand convenient food packaging that helps growbusiness. Customized barrier packaging filmsinclude clear, opaque, and metallized OPP.

“Toray Plastics (America), Inc. has been anintegral partner in our mission to provideunrivaled customer service and superiorproducts,” says Paul Zmigrosky, vice president,Strategic Sourcing, Frito-Lay. “In 2004 TorayPlastics (America), Inc.’s performance inpackaging product development and quality, aswell as service and delivery, was outstanding.”

“Frito-Lay honors Toray Plastics (America), Inc.with this very important Supplier of the Yearaward,” says Rick Schloesser, General Manager,Toray Plastics (America), Inc. “Our success is theresult of a true collaboration between Toray andFrito-Lay teams to produce cost-effective, value-added packaging that sells.”

Umicore Thin Film Products, Nashua, NH ispleased to announce that sales engineer ChaffeeTran, has expanded his area of expertise toinclude the Optical Data Storage industry.Chaffee brings years of education and experienceto our customers in the western United States.Chaffee has been working for Umicore for the past5 years where he has successfully developed newbusiness in the optics and ophthalmic industry,while providing customers with exceptionalknowledge and service. Chaffee’s sales territorywill include ODS customers west of theMississippi. Bill Reeves will continue servicingUmicore’s customers in the eastern states.

Vergason Technology, Inc. (VTI®) proudlyannounces our recent ISO 9001-2000 Certificationon April 26, 2005 from AQA International LLC.The ISO certification is a major milestone forVTI®. It is a validation of our commitment tofocus on continuous improvement and quality forour customers, from our suppliers, and withsupporting business partners.

To learn more about becoming aCorporate Sponsor, visit:

www.svc.org/AboutSVC/AS_CorpSponIntro.html

Corporate Sponsors play a vital role in theSociety by ensuring that the Society's technicalprograms are responsive to the interests of thevacuum coating community, and by broadening

the financial basis of the Society.

Deadline Nearing for High-Tech Passports

U.S. visitors from the 27 countries that are not required to have visas must have theirmachine-readable passports by June 26, 2005

Transportation carriers after that time will be fined $3,300 per violation for transporting anytraveler from a visa waiver country to the U.S. without a high-tech passport.

Any visa waiver traveler arriving without a machine-readable passport should not anticipatebeing granted one-time entry into the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity.

The machine-readable passport requirement in the past received an extension from theDepartment of Homeland Security. There’s a lobbying effort to gain another delay.

Machine-readable passports have a sequence of lines that can be swiped by U.S. Customsand Border Protection officers to quickly confirm the passport holder’s identity.

For SaleStokes 72” Dia. x 110” L Vacuum Metalizer w/ support equipment

Stokes 72” Dia. x 114” L Vacuum Metalizer w/ support equipment

NRC 84” Dia. x 126” L Vacuum Metalizer w/ support equipment

C&C General L.L.C.Call Brad (231) 798-7609 E-mail: [email protected]


To read a detailed description of each conferencesession and for any changes to the program, visitwww.thecoatingshow.com and click on CONFERENCEPROGRAM.

Monday, September 19AFTERNOON SESSIONS1. Custom Coater Roundtable

2:00 – 3:55 PMModerator: Chris Wright, Carolinas Custom Clad Inc.

2. Compliant Metal Finishing2:00 – 5:00 PMA. Liquid Coating Application in Today’s

Global EconomySpeaker: Geoff Holzrichter, Dura Coat Products, Inc.

B. Growing Your Business Through Continuous ImprovementSpeaker: Steven Walters, Acme Finishing

C. The Powder Coating World - 2005Speaker: Steve Kiefer, Rohm & Haas Powder Coatings

D. Aluminum Pretreatment: Old Issues, NewDevelopmentsSpeaker: Brad Gruss, Pretreatment &Process Inc.

E. Case Study: Conversion to a CompliantAluminum Pretreatment SystemSpeaker: Charlie Ike, BCI SurfaceTechnologies

3. What is Porcelain Enamel?2:00 – 2:55 PMSpeaker: Steve Deisher, American Trim

4. Introduction to Vacuum Deposition Processing2:00 – 5:00 PMSpeaker: Dr. S. Ismat Shat, University of Delaware

5. Lean + Clean Manufacturing Overview2:00 – 2:55 PMSpeaker: John Soeka, CMTI/Purdue University

6. Electrocoat Basics3:00 – 3:55 PMSpeaker: Mike Bourdeau, The Valspar Corp.

7. The Relationship of Electrodeposited Zinc & Zinc

Alloy Structure on Subsequent Organic Coating3:00 – 3:25 PMSpeaker: Craig Bishop, Atotech World Wide R&D

8. Facing the Challenges of Surface Coating MACTStandards 3:00 – 4:55 PMSpeaker: Thomas Rarick, KERAMIDAEnvironmental, Inc.

9. Technological Developments in the Use inCopper/Tin/Zinc & Copper/Zinc3:30 – 3:55 PMSpeaker: Al Acheson, Uyemura International Corp.

10. In-Mold Coatings for Industrial Applications4:00 – 5:00 PMSpeaker: Kyle Shane, Red Spot Paint & Varnish

11. Comparison of Different Coating Technologies4:00 – 5:00 PMSpeaker: Chris Herr, HERR Industrial, Inc.

12. The View from Washington: SFIC's GovernmentRelations Update4:00 – 5:00 PMSpeaker: Jeff Hannapel, The Policy Group LLC

Tuesday, September 20MORNING SESSIONS13. Introduction to Powder Coating – Follow the

Yellow Brick Road8:30 – 11:30 AMSpeakers: Chris Merritt, ITW Gema; Steve Houston,DuPont Powder Coatings; Ron Cudzilo, George KochSons, LLC; Bruce Bryan, Industrial Paint & Powder;Roger Cummings, Industrial Polishing Services;Rodger Talbert, R. Talbert Consulting; and JerryTrostle, Wagner Systems, Inc.

14. How Coatings Can Add Value to Your Product8:30 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Kevin Woock, Henkel Corporation

15. Pretreatment General Session8:30 – 11:30 AMA. Trends in Pretreatment

8:30 – 8:55 amSpeaker: Gary Nelson, Chemetall Oakite

B. Troubleshooting Pretreatment Processes

9:00 – 9:25 amSpeaker: Jeff Watson, R3 Technologies

C. Alternative Pretreatment for Powder Coating9:30 – 9:55 amSpeaker: Brian List, Atotech U.S.A. Inc.

D. Advances in Zinc Phosphating10:00 – 10:25 amSpeaker: Bruce Goodreau, Henkel Corporation

E. Impact of Surface Contamination on the Corrosion Performance of Clear Coats on Machined Aluminum Wheels10:30 - 10:55 AMSpeaker: Philip Deck, Ph.D., GE Infrastructure – Water & Process Technologies

16. Business Valuation and the Exit PlanningProcess8:30 – 10:25 AMSpeaker: Allen Oppenheimer, A.M. Oppenheimer,Inc.

17. UV Curing for Plastic Parts Coating8:30 – 11:30 AMA. Overview of UV/EB Curing for Plastic

Parts CoatingSpeaker: Paul Mills, UV Robotics LLC

B. Overview of Current Commercial Applications of UV/EB in Plastic CoatingsSpeaker: Kevin Joesel, Fusion UV Systems, Inc.

C. UV Coatings & Adhesion to PlasticSpeaker: Matthew Ellison, Bordon Chemical

D. Application & Advantage of UV-Cured Clear Hardcoat for PlasticsSpeaker: John Stansfield, Accelerated Curing, Inc.

E. Innovative Applications of Practical Processing of UV Curable Technology

Speaker: Tim Tanner, Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co.

F. UV Refinishing for Plastic HeadlampsSpeaker: Ramesh Subramanian, Bayer Material Science

COATING 2005 Helps Transform Coating Operations

Technical Conference Program

The time is now! North American manufacturers applying industrial finishes must transform their coating operations to becomemore efficient and productive, and ultimately more profitable. It’s a matter of survival!

The industry’s leading experts, suppliers and trade associations invite you to attend COATING 2005 from September 19–22 atthe Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, IN, USA where you can take the necessary steps to stay competitive in ourglobal marketplace..

Make a commitment to your company’s future, and attend COATING 2005! Read on and then register on-line today:www.thecoatingshow.com. Call 513-624-9988 with questions.




18. Applications & Markets for ClearElectrocoatings8:30 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Randy Campbell, PPG Industries

19. Why a Painting Robot?9:30 – 10:25 AM Speaker: Rob Tesmer, EXEL Industrial Inc.

20. Achieving Meaningful VOC Reductions in thePaint & Coatings Industry9:30 – 10:25 AM Speaker: Paul Coty, Soy Technologies, LLC

21. Designing Energy Efficient PretreatmentWashers10:30 – 11:30 AMSpeaker: Sherrill Stoenner, Pneu-Mech SystemsMfg. Inc.

22. Hexavalent Chrome-Free Finishes Meet OEMPerformance Requirements10:30 – 10:55 AMSpeaker: Linda Wing, Enthone, Inc.

23. The Future of VOC Regulations of IndustrialSurface Coatings10:30 – 11:30 AMSpeaker: David Darling, National Paint & CoatingsAssociation

24. Adding E-Coat to an Existing Powder Line11:00 - 11:30 AMSpeaker: Joe Subda, DuPont Performance Coatings

25. Non-Hazardous Alternatives to HexavalentChrome for Aluminum11:00 - 11:30 AMSpeaker: Nabil Zaki, SurTech International, GmbH

NO SESSIONS WILL BE SCHEDULED FORTUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE AFTERNOON WILLBE FREE TO VISIT THE EXHIBITION.

Wednesday, September 21MORNING SESSIONS26. POP! Powder Coating on Plastics

9:00 – 9:55 AMSpeakers: Paul Mills, Consultant; Robert Langlois,Alliance Surface Finising; Paul Kroes, NordsonCorp.; and Mack Muhlenkamp, PPG Industries

27. Leaning Out the Paint Shop9:00 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Michael Elberson, Autoquip Inc.

28. How to Design Porcelain Enameling Friendly Parts9:00 – 10:55 AMSpeaker: Cullen Hackler, Porcelain EnamelInstitute

29. Novel Electrolytic NI/Phosphate9:00 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Anthony Revier, Uyemura InternationalCorp.

30. Vacuum Deposition by Sputtering9:00 – 9:55 AMSpeaker: David A. Glocker, Isoflux Inc.

31. Corresponding the Physical Characteristics of UVCoatings to End Use Benefits9:00 – 9:55 AMSpeaker: Shu King, Jamestown Paint Co.

32. Importance of Powder Booth Filtration9:30 – 9:55 AMSpeaker: Bob Allsop, Nordson Corp.

33. Electrophoretic Coating Developments9:30 – 9:55 AM

Speaker: Ifor Jones, Atotech UK Ltd.34. Harry Powder and the Secrets of the Spray

Booth10:00 AM – NoonSpeakers: Jeff Hale and Debra Satterthwaite, ITWGema; Marty Vicens, Nordson Corp.; J.B. Graves,Iontech; and Jeff Watson, R3 Technologies

35. Purpose Specific Stripping10:00 – 10:25 AMSpeaker: Jim Malloy, Kolene Corp.

36. A Chemical Approach to Extend ElectrolessNickel Solution Life10:00 – 10:25 AMSpeaker: Mark Zitko, Enthone-Cookson Electronics

37. Challenges of Switching from Solvent to WaterReducible Coatings10:00 – 10:55 AMSpeaker: Francis Slama, Finishes Unlimited, Inc.

38. UV Curing for Wood & Hardware Finishing –Part 110:00 AM - NoonA. Spray Applications for Wood & Metal

Speaker: David Hagood, Nordson Corp.B. The Basics of UV Coatings Formulation

Speaker: Don Hart, Mid-America Protective Coatings

C. Vacumm Coating for Wood & Metal SubstratesSpeaker: Steve Bosley, Delle Vedove

D. Low Energy 3-D CuringSpeaker: Bill Sparks, Ultraviolet Systems

39. The Evolution of Powder Booth Materials10:30 – 10:55 AMSpeaker: Jeff Shutic, Nordson Corp.

40. Troubleshooting Plating Processes10:30 – 10:55 AMSpeaker: William Saas, TASKEM, Inc.

41. Designing Effective Curing Processes to MeetToday’s Production Needs11:00 AM - NoonSpeaker: Sherrill Stoenner, Pneu-Mech SystemsMfg. Inc.

42. Advances in the Bulk Electrocoating of SmallParts11:00 AM - NoonSpeaker: Robert Simeone, PPG Industries

43. Status Report on the Use of Trivalent Chromates11:00 – 11:25 AM Speaker: Roger Sowinski, New SurfaceTechnologies

44. Vacuum Deposition by Evaporation11:00 AM - NoonSpeaker: David A. Glocker, Isoflux Inc.

45. Review of Wastewater Treatment for TrivalentChrome11:30 AM - NoonSpeaker: Mark Andrus, TASKEM, Inc.

Wednesday, September 21AFTERNOON SESSIONS46. Small to Mid Volume Powder Coating Systems

1:00 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: Nick Liberto, Powder CoatingConsultants; Ken Kreeger, Nordson Corporation;and Ron McMahon, Akzo Nobel

47. Emerging TechnologiesModerator: Larry Melgary, Northern Coatings &Chemicals1:00 – 3:00 PMA. An Environmentally Friendly Non-Phosphate

Conversion Coating1:00 – 1:15 PMSpeaker: William Fristad, Henkel Corporation

B. Anti-Gas Additives for Powder Coatings

1:15 – 1:30 PMSpeaker: Craig Dietz, DuPont Powder Coatings

C. New Low Temp Chemistries Yield Significant Pretreatment Energy Savings1:30 – 1:45 PMSpeaker: David B. Chalk, Ph.D., Galaxy Industries, Inc./Fremont Industries

D. Electrostatic Isolation System for Spraying Water-Based Materials1:45 – 2:00 PMSpeaker: Kevin Baker, EXEL Industrial, Inc.

E. Optical Analysis of Spray Nozzles used in Coating Applications2:00 – 2:15 PMSpeaker: Harry Lader, Ph. D., Harry Lader & Associates

F. An Enhanced Pretreatment Performance on Ferrous Metals2:15 – 2:30 PMSpeaker: Philip Deck, Ph.D., GE Infrastructure – Water & Process Technologies

G. New Advances in Two Component Water-Borne Polyurethanes2:30 – 2:45 PMSpeaker: Shelley Parkerson, Lanxess Corp.

H. A Nickel-Free Process to Meet Today's Performance Requirements in the Appliance Industry2:45 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: Terry Giles, Henkel Corporation & Brent Steffanni, Whirlpool Corp.

48. In-House Electrocoating vs Outsourcing1:00 – 1:55 PMSpeaker: Lyle Gilbert, LG Consulting

49. Common Permitting Mistakes and How to AvoidThem1:00 – 1:55 PMSpeaker: Emily Rynders, The Payne Firm, Inc.

50. Features & Benefits of Different CoatingTechnologies1:00 – 1:55 PMSpeaker: Jerry Dooley, Bob Piccirilli, and BernieAckerman, PPG Industries

51. UV Curing for Wood & Hardware Finishing –Part 21:00 – 2:30 PMA. Introduction to UV Measurement

Speaker: David Snyder, EIT Instrument Markets

B. Water-based Formulations for UV Curing TechnologySpeaker: Michael Dvorchak, Bayer Material Science

C. Choosing the Right Technology for Your UV ApplicationSpeaker: Dennis Kaminski, IST America Corp.

52. Dirt: Identification to Elimination2:00 – 2:30 PMSpeaker: Joe Subda, DuPont Performance Coatings

53. OSHA’s Chrome PEL Update2:00 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: Christian Richter, The Policy Group, LLC

54. Arc Vapor Deposition2:00 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: David A. Glocker, Isoflux Inc.

55. Marketing Your Custom Coating Business2:30 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: Trena Benson, DuPont Powder Coatings

56. Increased Capacity through Infrared Technology2:30 – 3:00 PMSpeaker: David Bannick & Gary Metzger, ITW BGK

Coating 2005 TechnicalConference Programcontinued from page 48


Thursday, September 22MORNING SESSIONS

57. Today’s Fast Color Change Environment8:30 – 9:25 AMSpeakers: Ken Kreeger, Nordson Corp. and John Faulkner, MSPowder Systems, Inc.

58. Reducing Pretreatment System Costs8:30 – 8:55 AMSpeaker: Steve Pearl, Chemetall Oakite

59. Physical Properties, Major Products and Basic Processing ofPorcelain Enamel Coatings8:30 – 11:30 AMSpeaker: Holger Evele, Ferro Corp. and Anthony Mazzuca, PemcoCorp.

60. Waste Reduction Rules & Remedies for Industrial CoatingUsers8:30 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: David Darling, National Paint & Coatings Association

61. New Developments in UV Technology8:30 – 11:30 AMA. UV Curing for Powder Coating: The

Coater Speaks Out

Speaker: Steve Couzens, Radex Powder CoatingB. UV LED’s: Changing the Way UV Curing Works

Speaker: Tom Molamphy, Phoseon TechnologyC. Robotic UV Curing for Complex 3D Parts

Speaker: Paul Mills, UV Robotics LLCD. UV Curing for Composites

Speaker: Dennis Kaminski, IST America Corp.E. Microwave Multi-Lamp UV Technology

Speaker: Vladimir Danilychev, Quantum Technologies

62. Spray Booth Audits8:30 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Ron Joseph, Ron Joseph & Associates, Inc.

63. Chrome Wars9:00 – 9:25 AMSpeaker: Mitch Kassouf, Henkel Corporation

64. Powder Coating Aluminum Extrusions9:30 – 11:30 AMSpeakers: Phil Bechtold, Rohm & Haas; Chris Merritt, ITW Gema;Jim Lawley, Nordson Corp.; and Pierre Bols, Trevisan CometalNorth America Inc.

65. How to Set Up a Paint Defect Reduction System9:30 – 10:25 AMSpeaker: Kevin Lockwood, Paint Performance Consulting

66. Doing Business in China: Advantages & Disadvantages9:30 – 11:30 AMSpeakers: Beth Gotthelf & Peter Thuet, Butzel Long; RustyBurrell, TRW

67. Doing More with Less: Incorporating Automated MSDSAcquisition & Update into Your EMIS9:30 – 10:25 AMSpeaker: Andrew Rudnik, A V Systems, Inc.

68. Advantages of Unlimited Recoatable Epoxies andPolyurethanes10:30 – 11:30 AMSpeaker: Michael Winter, Sigma Coatings USA

2:00 – 6:00 PM - Plant Tours

Coating 2005 TechnicalConference Program


Accelerated Curing Inc.ACE Equipment Co.ACT Laboratories, Inc.Air & Waste Management Assoc.Alabama Washer & Oven Company, Inc.Alliance PlasticsAppliance MagazineArgon Masking Corp.Associated Rack CorporationAtomized Powder Coatings, LLCAtotech USA, Inc.Automatic Systems Inc.Automation USAAW CompanyAyotte Techno-Gaz Inc./American Industrial OvensBethel Engineering and Equipment, Inc.Bulk Chemicals, Inc.Can-Am Engineered Products, Inc.Caplugs/Niagara Caps & PlugsCarpenter Chemicals, LCCastrol Industrial AmericasCatalytic Industrial SystemsCCI Thermal Technologies Inc.Challenge Inc.Chemco Mfg. Co. Inc.Chemetall OakiteChemical Coaters Assoc. Intl.Cincinnati Industrial MachineryCoatings MagazineCol-Met Spray Booths, Inc.Columbus Industries, Inc.Coral Chemical Co.The Crown Group, Inc.Custom Aerosol PackagingCustom-Pak Products, Inc.Datapaq, Inc.DeFelsko CorporationDeft Inc.DeimcoDelle Vedove/SuperficiDelta Coatings Corp.Diamond Vogel PaintsDigilube Systems, Inc.domnick hunter Advanced FiltrationDuBois ChemicalsDuPont Powder CoatingsEaton Fabricating Co., Inc.ECD, Inc.Echo Engineering & Production Supplies, Inc.Edge ManufacturingEIT Instrument MarketsElcometer Inc.Electro Steam Generator Corp.The Electrocoat AssociationEndura Corporation

EPSIEuropean Coatings JournalExel IndustrialFischer Technology Inc.Fischer, Inc., GeorgeFort Wayne AnodizingFostoria Industries, Inc.Foxcolor Inc.Fremont Industrial, Div. of Galaxy AssociatesPaul N. Gardner Co., Inc.GE Infrastructure Water & Process TechnologiesGeneral Fabrications Corp.Global Finishing Solutions LLCGrace DavisonGraco Inc.Guspro Inc.Heat ProcessingHenkel TechnologiesHerr Industrial, Inc.Houghton Metal FinishingIndustrial Air Solutions, Inc.Industrial Heating Equipment AssociationIndustrial Paint & PowderInnotek Powder Coatings, LLCInnovative IndustriesInpra Latina MagazineInternational Thermal Systems, LLCIontechITW FinishingJSR Ultrasonics - Div. of ImaginantKMI Systems Inc.George Koch Sons, LLCKolene Corp.LDPI LightingLubrication Service and Systems, Inc.Lubriquip, Inc.MacLellan Integrated ServicesMadison Chemical Co.Magic Rack/Production Plus Corp.Maxi-Blast, Inc.Metal Finishing MagazineMetal Finishing Suppliers Assoc.Midwest Engineered Products Corp.Midwest Finishing Systems, Inc.Mighty Hook Inc.Mighty Lube Systematic LubricationMocap, Inc.MS Powder Systems, Inc.Nalco CompanyNational Assoc. of Metal FinishersNational Paint & Coatings Assoc.G.J. Nikolas & Co., Inc.Nilfisk-Advance America, Inc.Nordson Corp.Nortech Vacuum Products

NPB Protective GroupOxford Instruments Coating MeasurementPacline Conveyors, Inc.Paint Performance ConsultingPaint Pockets CompanyPainter Design and EngineeringPhosphatizing Equipment Mfg. Inc.Pitture E Vernici European CoatingsPollution Control Products Co.Pollution Equipment NewsPorcelain Enamel Institute, Inc.Powder CoatingPowder Coating ConsultantsThe Powder Coating InstitutePowder Process SystemsPowder-X Coating Systems, Inc.Precision Conveyor Technologies, Inc.Precision Quincy Corp.Pressure IslandPrism Powder Coatings Ltd.Process Heating MagazineProducts Finishing MagazineProtech Chemicals Ltd./OxyplastQ-Panel Lab ProductsRaabe CorporationRadTech International N.A.Rapid Engineering, Inc.Rapid Industries, Inc.Richards-Wilcox, Inc.Seghers Keppel Technology, Inc.SeracSerfilco Ltd.Shercon, Inc.The Sherwin-Williams Co.Sico Industrial Coatings Inc.Silberline Mfg. Co., Inc.Society of Manufacturing EngineersSociety of Vacuum CoatersSpraying Systems Co.System Technologies, Inc.TDC Filter Manufacturing, Inc.Therma-Tron-X, Inc.Three I Engineering, Inc.Tiger-Vac Inc. (USA)Trimac Industries, LLCUni-Spray Systems Inc.United Air FilterVac-U-MaxVitracoat America Inc.Vorti-SivWagner Systems Inc.Jervis B. Webb Co.

EXHIBITIONThe COATING 2005 Exhibition encompasses 140,000 square feet ofexhibit space occupied by nearly 200 exhibitors. This is your chanceto meet and talk with all those who are involved in today's industrialcoating market, while seeing actual demonstrations of coatingprocesses.

SHOW HOURSTuesday, September 20 10:00 AM - 6:00 PMWednesday, September 21 10:00 AM - 6:00 PMThursday, September 22 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

EXHIBITORS (as of May 5, 2005)Visit our website: www.thecoating-show.com for the most up-to-date listof exhibitors.

Get Your Complete Set ofEducation Guides Today!Written by Donald M. Mattox, SVC Technical Director.This indispensible publication contains individual, stand-alone, two-page guides on different aspects ofthe equipment and technology associated with vacuum coating processing by physical vapor deposition.

Order your set of Education Guides today at www.svc.orgSociety of Vacuum Coaters, 71 Pinon Hill Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122 USA • 505/856-7188 • Fax 505/856-6716 • E-mail: [email protected]

IntroductionPhysical Vapor Deposition (PVD) ProcessesApplications of Vacuum CoatingsFactors Affecting the Properties of PVD-Deposited FilmsPatents and Copyrights Revised!Process Flow ChartProcess Documentation

Materials ScienceGlass as a Substrate MaterialAtomic ArrangementCrystalline Structure by Diffraction TechniquesMetals as Substrate MaterialsAlloys, Compounds, and DispersionsPolymers as Substrate Materials

Vacuum TechnologyHeating and Cooling in Vacuum New!Gas Manifolds New!What Is a Vacuum? Vacuum Systems for PVD ProcessingSteady State and “Transit” Conductance Revised!Deposition Chambers and Vacuum-Surface “Conditioning”In-Line Processing SystemsFixtures and ToolingVacuum GaugingHeating and Temperature MeasurementMass Flow Control of GasesReactive Deposition—Gas ControlMechanical Vacuum PumpsThe Return of the Piston PumpOil Contamination from Oil-Containing Mechanical PumpsOil Diffusion Pumps Turbomolecular Vacuum Pumps Cryopumps, Sorption Pumps, and Cryopanels Ideal Gas LawWater and Water VaporLeaks and Leak DetectionPumpdown—Leakup Revised!Reactive Plasma StrippingPurchasing and Characterizing Vacuum Deposition Systems

Plasma TechnologyPlasma Chemistry, Etching, and DepositionDC Glow Discharges for Sputtering and BiasingPulsed Power for Sputtering and BiasingBroad-Beam Reactive Plasma Sources—I: DC SourcesRF and Microwave Plasma SourcesIon (Plasma) GunsArcs, Microarcs, and FlashoversVacuum Gauges for the Plasma Environment

Surface PreparationExternal CleaningCleaning Environment In Situ CleaningPlasma CleaningSubstrate Surface ModificationSurface Energy, Wetting Agents, and SurfactantsPure and Ultrapure WaterCleaning with CO2 Revised!Reactive CleaningEnclosed and Closed-Loop Cleaning SystemsCleaning LinesSubstrates for Tribological Coatings

Rinsing and Drying Basecoats for Vacuum Coating New!“Glow Bars” for Plasma Cleaning New!

Vacuum EvaporationVacuum Evaporation and Vacuum DepositionVaporization SourcesEvaporant MaterialsHeating and CoolingSubstrate Fixturing and Fixture CleaningReactive EvaporationFeeding-Type Thermal Vaporization SourcesDeposition Rate Monitors

Sputter DepositionPhysical SputteringDC Diode Sputter DepositionDC Magnetron Sputter DepositionReactive Sputter DepositionSputtering Targets

Arc Vapor DepositionArc Vaporization and Arc Vapor Deposition

Ion PlatingFundamentals of Ion Plating

Low-Pressure CVD and PECVDPlasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor DepositionAtomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Nanolayer Deposition (NLD) New!

Atomistic Film Growth and Resulting Film PropertiesFilm Formation by Atomistic Deposition—IFilm Formation by Atomistic Deposition—IIPinholesResidual Film StressUltrafine ParticlesTopcoats and Postdeposition Processing New!

Surface and Film CharacterizationWear for Vacuum Coaters New!Characterization of PVD FilmsFilm Adhesion and “Deadhesion” Characterization of Surface MorphologyScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)Infrared (IR) SpectroscopyRutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)Scanning Laser Confocal Optical MicroscopyCorrosion for Vacuum Coaters New!

ApplicationsAdvanced Mirror Coatings New!Vacuum Web (Roll) CoatingPVD Coatings on PolymersDiamond and Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) CoatingsMetallic Thin Film Electrical ConductorsOptically Transparent, Electrically Conductive Oxide Thin FilmsReflecting CoatingsAntireflection (AR) CoatingsHard Coatings by PVDOphthalmic CoatingsThermal Control Coatings

SafetySafety Aspects of Vacuum ProcessingSafety Aspects of Cleaning

cleaning step is by blowing the surface particlesoff with carbon dioxide “snow.” The CO2 snow isproduced by expansion of compressed CO2 from atank. The particles of CO2 snow knock thecontamination particles loose, and then the snowvaporizes. This technique is used to clean verylarge (e.g., 8-meter diameter) astronomicalmirrors in place. Care must be taken not to coolthe surface to the point that moisture willcondense on the surface. If the film is on adielectric material the film’s surface should begrounded; otherwise, an electrostatic charge maybe built up on the film. Other blow-offtechniques can be used as well, but care must betaken not to leave a film of residue on the surfacefrom the gas source. If multistage cleaning is tobe used, particles can be removed by displace-ment in a flowing fluid media.

To remove particles and films of contami-nants, a detergent wash can be used. Immersethe surface in a 50:50 solution of pure (organic-free) deionzed (preferably distilled) water (>5M) and pure (99%, organic-free) anhydrousisopropyl alcohol. This will wet the surface asmuch as possible. Then, without letting thesurfface dry, place the surface in a detergentsolution. The detergent should be pure, have aneutral pH, and contain no additives except somesurfactants. Examples are the liquid dishwashingdetergents DAWN™ or JOY™ that have nophosphates or ammonia,. It may take some trialsto determine what conditions yield the bestcleaning results. The time, initial concentration,and temperature of the solution must becontrolled to be reproducible. Do not use toomuch detergent in the solution (the solutionshould feel slightly slick between the fingersbefore and after cleaning). SOAK. The length ofthe soak will be determined by the contamina-tion. Occasionally stir the solution or “swish” thesurface through the water to create a flow overthe surface. You can very lightly brush thesurface with a lint-free, desiezed cloth ifnecessary, to displace particles. If you use aheated detergent solution, move the part to acold bath of 50:50 alcohol and water to cool itdown. DO NOT LET THE SURFACE DRYBETWEEN STEPS.

Withdraw the part from the water whilegently spraying with a 50:50 mixture of water andalcohol. This flushes particulates that may havebeen floating on the water surface that couldbecome “painted” on the surface as it iswithdrawn through the water surface. Place thepart at an angle in the vapor above a heatedalcohol sump. As the alcohol vapor condenses on

the cold surface, it will displace the water andflow off carrying the water to the alcohol sump.Perform the alcohol vapor dry in a ventilatedarea, preferably in a chemical hood. When thepart heats up to the vapor temperature, conden-sation will cease. Withdraw the part and place ita hot-air cabinet where the air has been filteredto remove particulates and is exposed to anultraviolet light to oxidize hydrocarbon contami-nates (UV/ozone cleaning). Keep the part in thewarming box until ready to anodize. An alterna-tive to the vapor dry is to use a pure alcohol sprayrinse that displaces the water and dries rapidly.

It is interesting to read the various methodsthat have been used to strip aluminum from anastronomical mirror by both professional andamateur astronomers. The standard way seemsto be by using 6–8% HCl with a small amount ofCu2SO4 (green solution). Other techniquesinvolve using Drano™ or household lye. Strongalkaline solutions will attack the glass surface.

Note on Anodizing Solid Vacuum Surfaces

In some applications, such as plasma etchingwith plasmas containing chlorine, anodizedaluminum is preferable to stainless steel as achamber/fixture material because it resistscorrosion by the chlorine-containing plasma.Thick anodized layers (up to 50 microns) may beproduced electrolytically by using a sulphuricacid or oxalic acid electrolyte. These electrolytescontinuously corrode the growing oxide layer andgenerate a porous oxide with the pores orientednormal to the surface, as described by the Kellermodel [5]. These pores (few tens of nm indiameter) extend to close to the metal-oxideinterface and allow the electrolyte to penetrateclose to the interface. The pore size and porevolume depend on the anodizing conditions.These pores may be closed by hydrating andexpanding the oxide in hot water; however, thishot-water sealing increases the vacuumoutgassing rate of water and hydrogen from thesurface. Dyes or other materials may be added tothe hot water to incorporate the material into thesealed oxide. Thick anodic oxides crack if bent.The amount of cracking depends on the oxidestructure.

References1. D.W. Hess, “Plasma-assisted oxidation,

anodization, and nitridation of silicon,” IBM J.Res. Dev., 43(1/2), 127 (1999).

2. G. Hass, J. Opt. Soc. Amer., 39, 532 (1949).

3. Stan Thomas, “Anodization of Mirrors – How todo it,” (1999).<http://astro.umsystem.edu/atm/ARCHIVES/APR95/0129.html>

4. D.J. Sharp, J.K.G. Panitz, R.M. Merrill, and D.M.Haaland, Thin Solid Films, 111, 227 (1984).

5. F. Keller, M.S. Hunter, and D.L. Robinson, J.Electrochem. Soc., 100, 411 (1953).

Advertiser’s Index

Ametek, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Angstrom Sciences, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35APX Scientific Instruments, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 37Association of Industrial Metallizers,

Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) . . . . 33C&C General, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Coating 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Fil-Tech, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Filmetrics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Huettinger Electronic, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Inficon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23KDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Kurt J. Lesker Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Maxtek, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27MDC Vacuum Products Corporation . . 28 & 29MKS Instruments, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Normandale Community College . . . . . . . . . 51Optical Society of America (OSA) . . . . . . . . 43Pfeiffer Vacuum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8PHPK Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Polycold Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2R.D. Mathis Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Society of Vacuum Coaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13System Control Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Telemark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Torr International, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19ULVAC Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Vacuum Research Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Varian Inc. Vacuum Technologies . . . . . . . . . 15VAT, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17


The advertising deadline for theFall Bulletin is August 15, 2005.Call 505/856-7188 or [email protected] for information onadvertising in the Bulletin. Or visitour Web Site at www.svc.org todownload a PDF of the Media Kit.

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Original Contributed Articles · 2012. 6. 14. · Donald M. Mattox is the SVC Bulletin Editor and Technical Director. 4 2005 SummerNews Bulletin Letter from the President What a GREAT