5 Benefits of E-Beam Evaporation / Deposition Systems

Electron beam (e-beam) evaporation, also known as electron beam deposition, is the most versatile and commonly used technique for the physical vapor deposition process. In this technique, the target material is bombarded with an electron beam. The source of the electron beam is a charged tungsten filament. Once the target material is heated and reaches the required temperature, it starts evaporating. The gaseous substance, which is obtained from this evaporation process, is transported to the substrate material and deposited to form a thin coating layer. The deposition is possible here due to the precipitation of vaporized atoms or molecules in a vacuum chamber. 

The whole apparatus that facilitates this e-beam evaporation process is known as the electron beam evaporator system. 

The e-beam deposition technique has several advantages for various applications. Some of them are:

Ideal for metals with high melting point

Since the e-beam deposition/evaporation, the system allows the direct transfer of energy with an electron beam to the target material that needs to be evaporated and deposited on the substrate, it is ideal for metals that have a high melting point. 

Results in higher deposition rates

The e-beam deposition system produces higher deposition rates from 0.1nm per minute to 100nm per minute and is known for allowing higher adhesion to the substrate. This is the reason when you need quality thin coating films with higher density, electron beam deposition system is the first choice. 

Very high material utilization efficiency

The e-beam system heats only the target source material instead of the entire crucible. Therefore, thin films produced by these systems possess a much higher purity level as there occurs a lower degree of contamination from the crucible. This results in very high material utilization efficiency and reduced costs when compared to other physical vapor deposition systems. 

Less damage to substrate

Since the energy of the electron beam is concentrated on the target material rather than the entire vacuum chamber, e-beam evaporation technique minimizes the possibility of heat damage to the substrate. 

Suitable for lift-off masking techniques

With the aid of a multiple crucibles electron beam evaporator, many different layers of coatings from different target materials can be formed without compromising the integrity of the vacuum chamber. Thus, this system can also adapt to several lift-off masking techniques.  

Applications of an electron beam evaporator system

As electron beam evaporator systems can produce thin film coatings with desired conductive, reflective, and transmissive qualities, they are used for:

• Optical thin films
• Laser optics
• Solar panels
• Eyeglasses
• Architectural glass

Besides, an electron beam evaporator system is also highly suitable for a variety of industries right from high-performance aerospace and automotive applications where high temperature and wear resistance are critical to highly durable coatings for cutting tools, chemical barriers, and protection in corrosive environments, such as marine fittings.