News & Resources

Latest News, Events and Updates from Intlvac Thin Film

News & Blog

Plasma Assisted Reactive Magnetron Sputtering: An Alternative to IBS

Plasma Assisted Reactive Magnetron Sputtering Technology (P.A.R.M.S.) produces optical coatings comparable in performance, and lower in cost than ion beam sputtered technology, and also offers advantages over evaporative and RF sputter techniques.

Reactive magnetron sputtering has a high uniformity over a large area and a compatible geometry for mass-production operation of optical films from UV to NIR. Magnetron technology operates at a comparatively longer MTBM than ion beam sputtering equipment with few consumable components. Reactive sputter techniques allow for growth rates of oxide and nitride materials exceeding 30nm/min from high purity metallic targets, leading to fast cycle times. Metallic targets offer advantages in lifetime, biasing, refining, and thermal management. The addition of high current ion sources to a magnetron sputter process provides advantages in defect density reduction and refractive index stability while allowing targets to sputter in pure metallic mode. Multiple types of magnetrons (RF, AC, DC) can also be operated simultaneously to provide precision control of element ratios and doping for optically active materials.

Advances in optical endpoint monitoring have also improved the precision of complex multilayer deposition which can deliver spectral performance matching theoretical models and fabricating designs with hundreds of layers. Overall, Plasma Assisted Reactive Magnetron Sputtering remains one of the most reliable methods to produce optical filters, AR films, and HR coatings.

    

Related

Photonics Spectra Conference 2021

Photonics Spectra Conference 2021

Intlvac is pleased to sponsor this event and share it with you as an opportunity to hear and learn f...

Read More >
Thin Film Coating with Tetraphenyl Butadiene (TPB)

Thin Film Coating with Tetraphenyl Butadiene (TPB)

In the process of thin film deposition, we produce layers nanometers to microns thick on a surface i...

Read More >
Plan to be Where Science and Industry Converge

Plan to be Where Science and Industry Converge

Intlvac invites you to join us at Photonics West and BiOS Expo 2023 in San Francisco from January 28...

Read More >
Intlvac Delivers its Flagship TVAC System to MDA Space

Intlvac Delivers its Flagship TVAC System to MDA Space

MDA Space supplies geo-intelligence from satellite imagery, autonomous robotics and vision sensors t...

Read More >
Join Intlvac at OIDA's Technology Showcase - A Unique Presentation, Discussion & Networking Event

Join Intlvac at OIDA's Technology Showcase - A Unique Presentation, Discussion & Networking Event

Looking for information about the latest technology and a chance for one-on-one discussion with indu...

Read More >
Exciting Innovations Coming in 2024

Exciting Innovations Coming in 2024

Intlvac continues to innovate and develop state-of-the-art systems and thin film coating processes. ...

Read More >

RECENT POSTS

How Can We Help Move Your Next Thin Film Coating Project Forward?

Contact Us Today