The Plasma Enhanced Evaporation process developed by NEOVAC is a further development of the conventional vapor jet coating described above.
In the Plasma Enhanced Evaporation process, the vapor jet must penetrate a plasma generated in front of the substrate. The plasma has a variety of effects, allowing the coating to be optimized in a targeted manner.
When penetrating the plasma, the otherwise neutral vapour atoms are ionized. The plasma generates a negative bias voltage on the substrate, which greatly accelerates the ionized vapour atoms. The impact energy is therefore further increased, which leads to denser and more adhesive layers.
In addition, the direct contact of the substrate with the plasma leads to a further improvement in the coating properties, similar to ion assisted deposition for optical coatings.
NEOVAC's Plasma Enhanced Evaporation process combines the high coating rate of evaporation with coating properties that can be specifically influenced. The result is dense, uniform, mechanically stable and particularly well adhering coatings that can otherwise only be achieved with magnetron sputtering.
The pilot plant at NEOVAC's technology center is equipped with Plasma Enhanced Evaporation technology and can be used for sampling and joint strategic developments.