ICMCTF 2012! - CD-Lab Application Oriented Coating Development

Exhibitor Keynote Lecture
Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 9:40 am - 10:40 am
Golden Ballroom
Rotable Magnetrons, Today and Tomorrow
Dr. Roger De Gryse
Ghent University, Belgium
Dr. De Gryse obtained an M.S. in electronic engineering in 1964 from the Ghent University
and his Ph.D in Applied Science in 1976 with a study on the influence of surface States on
the frequency behaviour of MIS (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor) structures. In the same
year he became a research fellow at the department of Solid State Sciences of the Ghent
University. During that period, he was essentially responsible for the development of Ultra
High Vacuum systems; first generation quadrupole SIMS, low energy ion scattering (LEIS)
equipment, Wien velocity filters and energy selectors such as CMA’s and 127° analysers
which he used for the study of catalytic systems.
From his LEIS experience grew his interest in the interaction between ion beams and
solids which in turn triggered his interest in magnetron sputtering as a technology and as a
process for the growth of high quality coatings, especially by using rotatable magnetrons.
In 1991 he became a lecturer at the department of Solid State Sciences and in 1999 full Professor at the same
department of the Ghent University. He retired and became Emeritus in 2007 but is still active within the research
group DRAFT (Design, Research and Feasibility of Thin Films) headed by Prof. D. Depla.
In 1988 he founded, together with some colleagues one of the first spin off companies at the Ghent University.
This company, SINVACO, specialised in the development and production of rotatable magnetrons, cylindrical
cathodes, and the design of dedicated vacuum equipment became world wide the largest manufacturer of rotatable
magnetrons for the web coating and glass coating industry. In 2000, SINVACO was acquired by a Belgian company,
Bekaert N.V. and Dr De Gryse was at the origin of a new Bekaert division called Bekaert Advanced Materials. This
division is worldwide still the largest manufacturer of rotatable magnetrons for both the web and glass coating
industry. Since then, he has been a member of the board of Bekaert Advanced Materials.
ABSTRACT
The continuously increasing demand for a higher quality of life needs the fabrication of products with improved
functionality at ever decreasing prices. Moreover, environmental awareness requires that these products are manufactured
with so called “clean technologies.” These demands have led to a rapid technological progress within the
thin film industry. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) has proven to be able to cope with these requirements and
within the PVD family, magnetron sputtering in all its varieties is probably the best known and widespread used
deposition technology. This success finds its cause in the thin film quality, the reproducibility, flexibility, and scalability
of the sputtering process. The concept of magnetron sputtering has been used under many different forms.
Probably the best known implementation of magnetically assisted sputtering is to be found in the “classics” such
as in the planar magnetrons, either circular or rectangular. However, magnetically assisted sputtering is also used
in many other forms such as inverted magnetrons, cylindrical-post magnetrons, cylindrical hollow cathode magnetrons,
facing target magnetrons and rotatable cathode magnetrons. This last variety, the rotatable magnetron, is
maybe the least known to the general public but most intensively used in large area coating applications like in web
coating and glass coating. In this contribution, we will focus on rotatable magnetrons, their benefits and drawbacks
and peculiarities. For example it turns out that in reactive sputtering their behavior is quite different as compared
to a rectangular magnetron of similar dimensions. Also, new trends in rotatable magnetron sputtering will be
discussed, as well from a technological point of view as from the viewpoint of market demands.
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