Thin film & printing technologies

R&D and services in coating, patterning, printing, thin film & surface analysis 

Application fields:

• - Photovoltaics industry 
• - Medical devices and implants industry
• - Packaging, paper, food and cosmetics industry
• - Pharmaceutical R&D
• - Sensor developments

Coating, patterning & printing techniques:

• - spin coating, dip-coating, slit coating, doctor blading, spray-coating, electrochemical coatings
• - molecular self-assembly
• - inkjet printing, screen printing

 Thin film and surface characterization techniques:

• - Advanced Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM topography, roughness and defect analysis, phase contrast, nc-AFM, MFM, Kelvin probe,..)
• - Optical white light interferometry (thin film thickness measurement, index of refraction, extinction coefficient)
• - UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy(absorbance, transmittance, reflectivity)
• - Raman spectroscopy
• - Fluorescence microscopy
• - Surface energy & contact angle measurement 
• - Four-point probing (sheet resistance, electrical conductivity, I-V characterization)

Application example: Printing and micropatterning: 

 Inkjet printing of microstructures

Example: high precision thickness measurements of thin film coatings (dielectrics, polymers, oxides, semiconductors): 

 High precision measurement of thin film thickness

• - Thickness analysis in the range of 1nm - 70 μm
• - Wavelength dependency of the refractive index n and extinction coefficient K

We use Thin Film Thickness analysis regularly for: 

• - R&D collaborations with industrial partners who wish to improve their products or steps in the fabrication processes based on a competent analysis of thin film thickness (dielectric coatings on glass or silicon wafers (photovoltaics, electronics) or on packaging materials (for food or pharmaceutical industry).
• - Service for surface quality control of products (e.g. characterisation of the homogeneity of the film thickness, strain effects, ageing effects).
• - R&D projects on material science research
• - MNT training for professionals or advanced students in microtechnics or electrotechnics

If you need to characterize the thickness or optical transmittance of a thin film, or if you wish to receive a quotation about this or another service, contact us here.