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Denton Vacuum was recently assigned U.S. patent number 10,815,570 for a linearized energetic radio-frequency plasma ion source. This source is designed as a large area, filament-free source that is fully compatible with high-throughput, in-line sputtering systems.
Some of the unique, patent-protected features of this source are:
- Plasma ion source with independent control over ion current density and ion energy
- Self-neutralized plasma-ion beam
- Rectangular configuration
Benefits of Linear Ion Sources
Denton’s linear ion source offers safe chemistries, high ion flux densities and adjustable ion energies. Because you have complete control over ion current density and energy, multilayer films can be produced using a single source. The self-neutralizing component decreases the chance of contamination during thin film deposition, helping to improve film quality while increasing uptime.
Linear ion sources are used in both in-line and drum configurations, depending on throughput requirements. Due to the extended tunability of the plasma-ion beam parameters, Denton’s linear ion source provides a unique ability to reduce the number of sources required, minimizing capital expense and maintenance requirements.
With a design like this linear ion source, manufacturers can better enable high-quality thin films for applications that are quickly ramping up demand, including foldable OLED displays, diamond-like nanocomposite coatings and hard AR coatings.
Contact us to learn more about how a linear ion source can improve performance and system uptime for your next-generation optoelectronics application.