Thin Film Deposition Vacuum Process

Thin Film Deposition is a vacuum process that involves the application of coatings of pure materials over the surface of many different objects. The coatings or films typically have a thickness range of microns and angstroms and can be of single material or multiple materials in a layered structure.

This article covers the basic principles involved in controlling the thickness and rate of Thin Film Deposition using quartz crystal monitoring.

Evaporation is a key class of deposition methods involving heating of a solid material within a high vacuum chamber to a temperature at which some vapor pressure is produced. Inside the vacuum chamber, even a relatively low vapor pressure is adequate to raise a vapor cloud, which is then condensed over surfaces in the chamber as a coating or film.

This process, including the common type of chamber designs generally used, is an ideal candidate for successfully controlling the thickness and rate by means of quartz crystals.