Coatings
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Tethis' systems for synthesis and integration into device of functional coatings are based on Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD), an advanced technique for the production of porous coatings through the in vacuum assembling of nanoparticles over a substrate.

Nanoparticles, or clusters, are first generated in the gas phase by the source. Differential vacuum between source and deposition chambers enables producing an extremely intense and collimated beam of the mixture composed by clusters and inert gas. The nanoparticles beam is then "sprayed" on the substrate surface, without increasing its temperature.


The main features of the SCBD process are:
  • room temperature process, allowing the use of every kind of substrate (metals, ceramics, polymers, membranes, and generally micro-electro-mechanical systems).
  • high collimation of the nanoparticles beam. Patterning with sub-micrometric lateral resolution can be achieved by means of non-contact stencil mask, avoiding any photo-lithographic techniques.
  • films grow in high-purity conditions (UHV compatible process).
  • nanoparticles impact on the substrate and coat the surface without major deformation, retaining their individual properties.

Systems

Coating equipments for the production of nanomaterials are usually composed by a nanoparticle source, either a Pulsed Microplasma Cluster Source (PMCS) or a FlameBeam Source (FBS), connected to a vacuum system for thin film growth.

Systems features
  • The process allows many degrees of freedom in the choice of the dimension and geometry of the systems, which depends only on the customer applications.

  • The feeding/control stage and the deposition chamber are completely customizable without special limitations. Standard vacuum substrates loading systems can be used with this system, whereas batch production or in-line loading is required.

  • The systems can be equipped with an automated manipulator for substrates movement during the deposition, and the film growth can be monitored by quartz microbalances.

  • Film growth at high-purity conditions, since the substrate is positioned in a chamber with differential vacuum with respect to the beam source.