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Six Factors that Affect the Cost of a Thin Film Deposition System

PVD_custom systems-costdrivers.pngOur customers use our custom thin film deposition coating tools for a wide range of applications from thin film lithium Ion batteries to combinatorial materials development, high temperature superconductors, semiconductor, optical, and tribological materials, etc. Although we divide our coating technologies into four categoriessputtering, evaporation, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD)the range of features and combinations that we offer create an unlimited number of possible coating system configurations.

The complex interconnection and dependencies among features make it impossible to determine a system's cost from a general description. That said, at a very simplistic level, there are six factors that have a high impact on the cost of a deposition tool. In no specific order, these are:

  1. Substrate size
  2. Base vacuum of chamber
  3. Required substrate temperature during deposition, RF bias, and substrate manipulation
  4. Types of films to be deposited: amorphous, polycrystalline, epitaxial
  5. Load lock and throughput requirements
  6. In-situ metrology

We have created a new downloadable guide that goes into greater detail on all the above features and relates them to specific coating methods. We hope this helps to clarify some aspects of the technology. When you are ready to discuss your application and requirements, contact us so that we can help you design the coating tool that best meets your needs and budget.

Want to learn more about the the cost drivers for thin film deposition tools? Download our guide:

Download eBook

Topics: Custom Systems, System Planning

Written by PVD Staff

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