High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS)

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Ever increasing requirements on the coating material properties and the thin film synthesis techniques for new fields of application drive the development of advanced deposition methods. Among these, High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) is a very recently proposed and highly promising emerging technology for physical vapor deposition (PVD). High plasma density, without overheating the target, can be achieved by applying a very high power within individual pulses at low duty cycle (in the MW range), giving rise to a peak power on the cathode surface of several kW/cm2, and a degree of ionization of up to 90%, yielding plasma densities 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than in a conventional DC magnetron discharge. This opens new avenues in magnetron sputtering, in particular providing very dense films (packing density of 100%), low stress and excellent adhesion to industrial substrates. Within this RTI competition, we seek funding for the acquisition of a HIPIMS power supply in support of our research on the synthesis of new nanostructured optical, tribological and protective coatings for their use in aerospace, photonics, biomedical and advanced manufacturing applications.