Process Development and Validation of Complex Multi-Layer Dielectric Thin Films on R2R Vacuum Coater

Presented by Mike Simmons, Intellivation LLC

Large area web coating is an efficient way to manufacture thin film coatings, but challenges exist when producing sophisticated multi-layer dielectric coatings by reactive magnetron sputtering because the reactive working gas distribution and concentration each contribute to the characteristics of the deposited film. In addition to controlling the reactive sputter process with a high level of tunability and stability, high tech applications require excellent crossweb uniformity of the film. The ability to measure the cross-web uniformity of the reactively deposited dielectric coating in-situ using precision optical methods enables tuning of the reactive deposition process rapidly and with a high degree of precision. This is critical for the production of multi-layer, multi-pass coatings with demanding performance specifications. In this talk, we discuss first utilizing the drum mode of the R2R Sputter Vacuum Coater to tune the reactive sputter controller to deliver baseline properties of the single layer film such as a full stochiometry without absorption at a high deposition rate. Next, we move to R2R mode and utilize the in-situ optical measurements to obtain satisfactory crossweb uniformity of each single layer thin film which is used in the multi-layer coating. These well-characterized individual layers are then deposited in sequence to create the complex multi-layer coating, which is then also measured in-situ to validate that the target design has been achieved. This process is carried out quickly for new dielectric coating materials and complex multilayer designs, accelerating product development.