Ion Assisted Deposition

A thin film deposition technique that utilizes concurrent or periodic bombardment with energetic reactive ions

The Advantages of Denton’s Proprietary Thin Film Technology

Posted on May 5, 2025May 5, 2025

Denton’s multiple system platforms and its proprietary thin film process technologies enable Denton to deliver unique solutions tailored to customers’ specific applications. In particular, Denton’s proprietary ion energy plasma technologies are uniquely capable of helping semiconductor and nanotech companies produce low-damage, contamination-free, shift-free, ultra-thin and uniform films. Denton’s proprietary ion energy plasma technologies include: Endeavor… Read More

Applications Enhanced by Ion Beam Biased Target Sputtering (BTS)

Posted on March 3, 2025April 4, 2025

While traditional Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) systems provide good process control, there are drawbacks for certain applications. Denton’s patented Biased Target Sputtering (BTS) can overcome many of the well-known process issues of IBS. In BTS, the low-energy ions generated are below the sputter threshold, and a negative voltage is applied to the target to ensure… Read More

Peter Denton, Chairman of the Denton Vacuum Board

The Accidental Ion Source: A Discovery from a Failed Experiment

Posted on January 6, 2025April 4, 2025

For over half a decade, Denton Vacuum has developed deposition and etch technology that enable users to enhance and innovate their research techniques and manufacturing processes. Discovering ground-breaking technology is not always a straightforward path. It takes a willingness to try, fail, and try again. At Denton, we take pride in our willingness to fail… Read More

A close up of the Denton Vacuum Phoenix system

Phoenix: Large Area Coating System for In-Line Production

Posted on December 6, 2024December 9, 2024

Denton’s Phoenix system platform is designed for high-volume in-line production. The system comes in two primary configurations: the Phoenix LC for magnetron sputtering with a rectangular or rotary linear cathode, and the Phoenix PIB-CVD for room-temperature chemical vapor deposition. Both systems can be configured with multiple sources to support a variety of applications. In this… Read More

Close up of a system that uses magnetron sputtering

What is Magnetron Sputtering?

Posted on August 19, 2024November 18, 2024

Magnetron sputtering is a plasma-based technique for physical vapor deposition (or PVD) coating that creates dense films with good adhesion. It is excellent for depositing materials with high melting points that cannot be evaporated, and it has the highest scalability of any PVD type. Magnetron sputtering provides excellent precision in film thickness and density of… Read More

Close up of lasers reflecting in machines

Bias Target Sputtering for Thin Film Deposition

Posted on July 22, 2024November 25, 2024

Traditional ion beam sputtering (IBS) provides excellent control over ion energies and thin film stoichiometry, making it the process of choice for sputtering metals and dielectrics for applications such as vanadium oxide microbolometers and VCSELs. Still, IBS has various challenges in meeting the necessary standards for applications in which a high degree of precision and… Read More

Is Evaporation or Sputtering Better for Your Application?

Posted on May 20, 2024November 13, 2024

When selecting a physical vapor technique for your manufacturing process, the end application will greatly affect which technique is best. While PVD has many forms, there are two prominent techniques: evaporation and sputtering. Sputtering through magnetron or ion beam (IBS) utilizes energetic ions colliding with a target to eject (or sputter) target material. Thermal resistive… Read More

How to Prevent Defects in Thin Film Sputtering and Evaporation

Posted on April 22, 2024November 5, 2024

The goal of any thin film deposition method is to create a high-quality uniform film across the entire surface of a substrate. Unfortunately, defects such as spits, particles, and voids can interfere with your ability to reach desired film quality. If necessary, there are ways to adjust a manufacturing process to eliminate such defects and… Read More

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and their Applications

Posted on March 14, 2024November 13, 2024

Lasers are used in a wide variety of everyday applications, in everything from fiber optic telecommunications, to computer mice, to cell phones, and even cars. This is made possible by semiconductor lasers, particularly by vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). A VCSEL is created from a complex multilayer structure that is formed by depositing thin film layers… Read More

Plasma Ion Beam Chemical Vapor Deposition

Utilizing Plasma in Chemical Vapor Deposition: Plasma Enhanced CVD vs PIB-CVD

Posted on February 16, 2024November 5, 2024

In thin films obtained by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), chemical reactions are driven by applying heat to the substrate to be coated or to the area immediately around the substrate. Reactive precursor gasses are then introduced into the deposition chamber and react immediately with the heated substrate surface or combine to form new compounds that… Read More