Providing Technology Solutions since 1996
At Intlvac, we specialize in Etch, Evaporation, Sputter, and PECVD process technologies, forming the cornerstone of our expertise.
With decades of expertise in thin film coating and etching tools, Intlvac has perfected systems for advanced processes like E-Beam and Thermal Evaporation, DC Magnetron Sputtering, and Plasma-Assisted Reactive Sputtering. Using these techniques, we deliver high-quality coating services across a wide range of materials and complex geometries.
Find every component for the Mark I and Mark II Ion Sources in our online store. With parts in stock and next-day shipping.
Intlvac is the exclusive Canadian distributor for Leybold vacuum products and certified service.
With non-polar C-H bonds and a uniformly smooth texture, our DLC coatings repel moisture, safeguarding components from water damage and further reducing maintenance needs.
Robust protection even at ultra-thin thicknesses approaching 1 nm. This results in prolonged substrate longevity and enhances overall performance reliability.
Our DLC coatings retain tribological properties closely mirroring those of crystaline diamond, offering 95% atom density, 75% hardness, and 66% Young's Modulus compared to diamond.
Exceptional Uniformity without Rotation
The Aegis system produces uniformly dense films up to several microns thick across a wide range of substrates, including Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Sapphire, Optical Glasses, Metals, Plastics, and II-VI compounds. This advanced capability reduces material waste and minimizes vacuum process times, ultimately lowering costs.
Figure 1: Ultra-high uniformity achieved across substrates without the need for rotation mechanisms, ensuring consistent film quality from center to edge.
All coatings are qualified to rigorous ISO, MIL, and TS standards to ensure long-term performance, adhesion, and reliability under demanding environmental conditions. Testing covers mechanical durability, optical stability, and environmental resistance to meet or exceed industry and military specifications.
Available as a Cluster Tool, Individual Modules, or an In-House On-Demand Service.
Nanoquest II is a precision ion beam etching system designed for advanced R&D in photonic device fabrication. Using a broad-beam ion source and adjustable substrate motion, it enables smooth, uniform material removal across LiNbO₃ and other challenging materials. Its tunable energy control, in-situ cooling, and flexible masking options ensure exceptional etch quality, making it ideal for fabricating next-generation lithium niobate components.
Nanochrome™ IV uses Plasma Assisted Reactive Magnetron Sputtering (PARMS) to deposit dense, uniform oxide and nitride films essential for lithium niobate device fabrication. These coatings enable precise masking, passivation, and optical tuning while maintaining pristine material interfaces. Integrated within Intlvac’s cluster environment, Nanochrome IV ensures clean, repeatable processing for high-performance photonic and quantum applications.
Aegis DLC enables precision etching for LNOI waveguide fabrication through Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of a diamond-like carbon hardmask. Its high hardness, adhesion, and selectivity ensure accurate pattern transfer during ion beam etching, producing smooth, high-fidelity lithium niobate structures essential for advanced photonic and quantum devices.
Aegis DLC
The Aegis DLC system provides a critical enabling layer for precision etching in LNOI (Lithium Niobate on Insulator) waveguide fabrication. Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), it deposits a thin, diamond-like carbon (DLC) film from hydrocarbon precursors to form a hardmask with exceptional hardness, adhesion, and etch selectivity.
Once deposited, the DLC layer undergoes oxygen plasma patterning to define intricate features with high resolution. Subsequent argon Ion Beam Etching (IBE) transfers these patterns into the underlying lithium niobate substrate, achieving nanometer-level accuracy and smooth, vertical sidewalls. Post-etch cleaning removes the DLC mask, revealing finely structured LNOI waveguides with exceptional optical performance.
By combining mechanical robustness with precise process control, the Aegis DLC module ensures repeatable, high-fidelity pattern transfer—an indispensable step in producing reliable and scalable photonic devices for advanced communications and quantum technologies.
Nanoquest II
The Nanoquest II employs a broad-beam ion source combined with fully adjustable substrate motion to achieve precise, purely physical material removal through momentum transfer from inert ions such as argon. This process eliminates the chemical dependencies of plasma etching, providing exceptional control over geometry, uniformity, and surface quality.
With its material-agnostic ion beam etching capability, Nanoquest II can process even the most chemically inert materials, including LiNbO₃, SiO₂, and sapphire. Adjustable beam incidence angles and substrate rotation deliver smooth, vertical sidewalls free from redeposition artifacts, while tunable ion energy and in-situ cooling preserve optical integrity by minimizing damage and contamination.
The system’s collimated beam ensures consistent etch rates across wafers up to 200 mm, and compatibility with a wide range of masking materials—including metals and multilayer dielectrics—extends process flexibility. Optional tilt-etch cycles and beam neutralization maintain optical-grade smoothness, making Nanoquest II the cornerstone of advanced photonic fabrication in lithium niobate and other challenging substrates.
Nanochrome IV PARMS
The Nanochrome™ IV utilizes Plasma Assisted Reactive Magnetron Sputtering (PARMS) to deposit highly uniform oxide and nitride thin films essential for every stage of LiNbO₃ device fabrication. These precision coatings provide the structural, optical, and protective layers required for high-performance photonic devices.
Through PARMS, materials such as SiO₂, Si₃N₄, and Al₂O₃ are deposited as dense, conformal films ideal for masking, passivation, and optical layer engineering. During high-aspect-ratio etching in the Nanoquest II, these durable coatings act as robust hard masks that preserve pattern fidelity and protect surfaces under demanding plasma and ion beam conditions. Following nanostructuring, the same dielectric films serve as tuning or passivation layers, enhancing optical confinement and device reliability.
Integrated seamlessly into Intlvac’s cluster environment, the PARMS process maintains a continuous, contamination-free workflow from deposition through etch and lift-off. This closed-system integration ensures reproducibility and pristine interfaces, empowering researchers and manufacturers to advance the limits of quantum photonics, high-speed communications, and integrated optical systems.
When you need coatings on demand, the Aegis DLC system delivers. Backed by decades of research, we’ve built a lineup of in-house DLC systems that power an industry-leading coatings lab staffed by a dedicated team of technicians and R&D specialists. Our proprietary DLC recipes are tailored to your unique applications, whether you’re working with intricate geometries, challenging substrates, or high-volume production. With Aegis, you get precision, performance, and speed—exactly when you need it.
Collaborate with our R&D specialists to craft the ideal DLC coating for your needs. From concept to completion, our team works with you to fine-tune performance, adhesion, and durability.
We’re not just operators—we’re builders, innovators, and trailblazers in the thin film industry. Our R&D team continually pushes the limits of what’s possible, and with the Aegis system, no project is too challenging.
Intlvac offers a comprehensive range of thin film deposition systems and services tailored to the infrared spectrum, including Evaporation, Sputtering, and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). We provide broadband AR coatings in the 3-5μm and 8-12μm ranges, suitable for Silicon, Germanium, and Chalcogenide optics. Diamond coatings are an ideal protective layer for these soft materials and with its high refractive index, is perfect as a single thin film for anti-reflection needs.