In‐Line Vacuum Deposition

Vacuum deposition is often only one step within the full roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing line, with other process steps proceeding and/or following the vacuum coating step. In vacuum deposition the substrate is a critical component and so this chapter focuses on substrate differences and then discusses two critical process factors: the management of defects and the management of heat load. It explains different deposition processes and systems and highlights a number of potentially important products that require vacuum-deposited coatings. Within the vacuum coating industry, the most commonly used substrate materials are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP). Physical vapor deposition (PVD) covers a wide range of different deposition processes that fall into two basic techniques: evaporation or sputtering. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was originally developed for the deposition of silica for barrier applications. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) appears to be the coating method of choice for many new applications.