Recent developments with magnetron PECVD for industrial applications

Magnetron PECVD is a new technology for the deposition of SiO2 like layers. The process tool achieves dynamic deposition rates exceeding 300 nm·m/min at process pressures below 10 Pa. These features enable the combination of magnetron PECVD with either sputtering or evaporation in continuous inline processes. In this paper recent advances regarding long-term stability will be presented. HMDSO precursor gas is used for a magnetron PECVD process in a roll coater of 600 mm deposition width. The down-web stability was investigated. This included both the plasma parameters and the coating properties on PET film. The layers were investigated by UV-VIS spectroscopy. The stability of the process under industrial conditions has been optimized. Depending on the process conditions the optical and mechanical properties can be tuned. The real part of the refractive index could be adapted between 1.48 and 1.54. The Young modulus varied between 8 and 22 GPa. Based on these results magnetron PECVD has been used to produce optical layer stacks, multilayer barriers and chemical protective layers.