1. What is sputtering deposition?

Sputter deposition is a method of depositing thin films by sputtering material from a “target”. Sputtering is a term used to describe the mechanism in which atoms are ejected from the surface of a material when that surface is stuck by sufficiency energetic ions generated by low-pressure gas plasma, usually an argon plasma. The sputtering takes place at a much lower temperature than evaporation. Sputtered atoms ejected into the gas phase in vapor form are not in their thermodynamic equilibrium state and tend to condense on all surfaces in the vacuum chamber including the substrate.

2. Why are thin films important?

There are many useful applications for thin films. We desire to produce properties in a material that are often conflicting in nature if we use one homogeneous material. Semiconductor devices, for example, are fabricated on a thin layer deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The integrated electronic circuits depend on the confinement of electrical charges, which relies on the interfaces between different materials with different electronic properties. There are also many occasions when the properties demanded an engineering application involve features that are different for the surface than that are for the bulk. Depositing metal films and patterning them on the surface are relatively easy to secure electrical connection between semiconductor devices.

3.How does a sputtering system work?

Generally, in sputtering systems ions are generated and directed at a target, then ions sputter targets atoms. The ejected atoms are transported to the substrate and atoms condense and form a thin film. Below image shows the simple schematic of a sputtering system.

About Us - NanoStructured Coatings Co.

Introduction

Nanostructured Coatings Co. (NSC) is a designer and manufacturer of high quality and reliable vacuum coating systems. The company was established in 2005 with the principal objective of supplying economically priced, high quality vacuum deposition systems for universities and research centers.

Since the start, NSC has taken proactive actions to meet the needs for state-of the-art equipment in laboratories conducting cutting-edge research. This was first begun with the introduction of large versatile systems of VCS100F generation, and soon reached a climax with the market-leading desktop series of vacuum coating systems; especially with the combined sputter-carbon coater for SEM sample preparation and Microanalysis. The easy-to-function desktop coaters are being widely used in numerous applications such as SEM imaging, nanotechnology, semiconductors, optoelectronics, solar energy, etc.

Having at its disposal the wealth of knowledge and expertise of a team of engineers and researchers with well-established academic background, NSC managed to produce high quality products to obtain the certificate of conformity of the product with the standards of European Union in 2013, allowing it to extend the market for its products and to grow the business further.

NSC has now become a market leader in vacuum deposition systems and electron microscopy sample preparation in the Middle East distributing its continuously expanding range of products worldwide.
2005 Foundation
2006 PLD Systems
2008 VCS Series
2010 Spacing Simulation Systems
2011 Desktop Sputtering Systems
2012 ISO 9001-2008 CE certificate for Desktop Sputtering System