Nothing in the 21st century world of electronics would be possible without electrical power, and thin film technologies are behind all of it. From superconductor wire used to improve the efficiency of power transmission, to flexible batteries, multi-layer capacitors and fuel cells used in mobile devices and electric cars, Denton Vacuum’s thin film deposition systems are a key part of the manufacturing process.
- Superconductor wire. high-temperature superconducting (2G-HTS) wires, can transport electrical current with absolute zero-ohms under cryogenic temperatures (77K, 30K, 4.2K, for instance). This feature benefits the advanced applications for electrical power transmissions, storage, and grid-control, such as demonstrated in numerous projects. Zero-resistivity means “no heat-generation, no energy-loss”, a key factor in minimizing climate impact.
- Flexible batteries. The market for flexible, printed, solid-state thin film batteries is exploding, driven by the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the need for batteries that can be used in products such as smart cards, wearable electronics, flexible displays, and transdermal drug delivery patches. Thin- film construction of lithium-ion batteries using a solid electrolyte that is deposited on a flexible substrate could lead to improvements in specific energy, energy density and power density as well as improved safety over traditional rigid batteries based on a liquid electrolyte.
- Multi-layer capacitors. Capacitors are another means of storing and using electric power within electronic devices. Using thin film deposition to create multi-layer capacitors can speed manufacturing by simplifying the manufacturing process and lowering overall costs.
- Fuel cells. Thin- film techniques are seeing increasing application in the manufacturing of fuel cells, especially solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), that offer greater reliability and cost effectiveness compared to fuel cells produced through more traditional approaches. Precious metal utilization, while expensive, is required in fuel cells to efficiently catalyze the reactions precious metals utilize to produce electricity.
Denton offers the most comprehensive high volume production platforms and application solutions supporting the needs of energy-related manufacturing. Denton’s ProcessPro-HV controls platform delivers a number of essential capabilities including high speed factory communication, sophisticated data-logging, remote monitoring and access.
