Consulting Services
Dr. Sproul is available to assist you with the resolution of any sputtering problems that you may be encountering.
Dr. Sproul will work with you and your staff to fully understand the problem, which can be technical, managerial, or a combination of both. Once the problem is understood, a solution with possible alternatives will be crafted to overcome the difficulties. If desired, he will work with you to implement the solution.
Services Available
Reactive sputtering consultation
Resolution of sputter deposition problems
Implementation of sputter coating processes into a production environment
Surface engineering design
In-house training
Capabilities
An example of a prior engagement involved determining why a coating that had previously been smooth and flat was suddenly full of particles. After talking with the engineers and technicians, it was found that they had installed a target from a new vendor. Further investigation revealed that the target material was pure, but its grain size was different from what had been used before. Changing the grain size of the target material solved the problem.
Another problem that was solved involved rough coatings. The client was sputtering at high pressure. Reducing the pressure increased the energy of the arriving particles, which in turn resulted in smoother coatings.
Problems Resolved
Start-up problems in large sputtering system
Coating adhesion problems for a medical application
Yield problems with decorative coating for writing instruments
Growth defects
Varying film composition
Client Industries Include
Semiconductor
Optoelectronics
Thin Film Head
U. S. Government
Building Materials
Consumer Products
Tooling
Decorative Coating