Thin FIlm Coating Capabilities

Light Coatings have thin film coating capabilities through reactive and non reactive magnetron sputtering at our dedicated lab at Daresbury, Cheshire. The system is a loadlocked drum coating system capable of precision multilayer optical coatings, functional coatings and specialist material coatings. The system is ideally suited to small batches due to the smaller drum size but the rapid turn around is also ideally suited for larger batch work of small components.

Specific advantages and capabilities include;

• Temperature coating technology allowing deposition below 65 degree Celcius suitable for polymer coatings.
• Loadlock system reducing vacuum time to less than 5 minutes.
• Precision optical coatings capable with uniformity better than 1% across the drum.
• 150mm targets allow for cost effective development with new materials whilst maintaining uniformity and capability.
• Dual magnetrons allowing flexibility on material choices and gas flow for reactive processes
• In situ plasma source for improved coating and surface preparation

Supporting Analysis/Characterisation Capabilties

• UV-VIS Spectrophotometers 190nm - 1100nm
• FTIR Spectrophotometer 2000nm - 16000nm
• Optical Coating Design Software, Macleod and Filmstar
• SEM and EDAX analysis systems
• 3D optical imaging and microscopy
• XRAY Diffraction capabilities
• Thermal cycling, humidity trials and additional durability capabilities
• Additional external capabilities for analysis and characterisation through existing partners

For project with sensitive components, optical or semiconductor, we have our cleanroom facility which can be operational within 24hrs but without the associated overheads expected of a permanent facility