Are you looking for a fully automatic sputter coater and/or carbon coater that is very simple to set up and use?

Safematic GmbH manufacturers technology-leading carbon and sputter coaters in Switzerland’s St. Gallen Rhine Valley, a region renowned for expertise in vacuum and coating technology. Years of expertise and knowledge have gone into the designing of key components of the CCU-010 Compact Coating System to optimise instrument performance whilst minimising downtime and improving ease of servicing.

The CCU-010 is a compact, fully automatic sputter coater and/or carbon coater that is very simple to set up and use. The exceptionally compact plug-in coating modules are self-contained and include the coating head (sputtering or carbon), power supply, automatic shutter and gas control system. There is a simple plug-in electrical and pneumatic interface with feed through to the coater base unit. Swapping between coating modules takes seconds and this user-friendly modular design gives unsurpassed ease of access for servicing.

Safematic coaters – compact, modular and intelligent

- High performance sputtering and carbon coating
- Patented carbon spooling – 50 carbon coatings without user intervention 
- Unique plug-and-go sputter and carbon coating modules 
- Actively cooled sputter head ensures coating quality and allows long run-times
- Class-leading vacuum performance and fast pump down times
- Compact, reliable and easy to service

CCU-010: a modular but simple approach to sputtering and carbon coating

The CCU-010 is available with high vacuum (CCU-010 HV) or standard vacuum (CCU-010 LV). The vacuum chamber is 120 mm in diameter and has a useful scale for setting the specimen stage height. With safety in mind, the implosion guard has a sensor so the coater cannot be activated without the guard in place.

The CCU-010 has a static specimen stage but can be fitted with an optional variable speed rotation stage or a rotary planetary stage, each with options for holding different specimen and stub types.

The standard vacuum CCU-010 LV can sputter non-oxidising (noble) metals such as gold, gold/palladium, platinum and silver.

The high vacuum CCU-010 HV will sputter both non-oxidising and oxidising metals, such as chromium and iridium.

Applications include SEM, TEM and any other process requiring high quality carbon films.

Modules:

CT-010 carbon evaporation module – redefining carbon coating

- Automatic, 50-run carbon fibre spooling system – saves operator time and enhances carbon coating quality and productivity
- Automatic, controlled deposition using film thickness monitor for both SEM and TEM carbon coating 
- Optional sequential carbon coating and glow discharge treatment
- Carbon fibre capture – maintains system cleanliness by collecting spent carbon fragments
- Built-in automatic source shutter
- Compact, plug-and-go design – ease of use and servicing
- Carbon fibre offers superior results with less outgassing and without the overheating associated with carbon rods

The CT-010 uses a unique, technology-leading carbon fibre spooling system. This allows up to 50 coatings to be carried out without the need to change the carbon source.

Once a section of carbon fibre has been evaporated a new section is automatically advanced and the spent fibre drops into a convenient catchment tray.

The GD-010 glow discharge system (optional) can quickly be installed for surface treatment of carbon coated grids. This is greatly simplified because the carbon coating and glow discharge treatment can be done sequentially – without the inconvenience of having to “break” vacuum and exchange process heads.

SP-010 and SP-011 sputter coating modules – active cooling and wide choice of sputter targets

- Advanced magnetron sputtering for high-resolution SEM 
- Sputtering of non-oxidising and oxidising metals (HV needed)
- Advanced process vacuum control – stable chamber pressure
- Cooled sputtering head – consistent quality, rapid deposition
- Built-in automatic source shutter
- Compact plug-and-go design

Both sputtering modules plug into the CCU-010 LV and CCU-010 HV base units and are ready to go. Each head module contains all the key components for high quality sputter coating including magnetron, target, shutter, process pressure regulator, power electronics and cooling system. In addition, an innovative interface connects the electrical power, gas supply and signal transmission to the CCU-010 base unit in seconds (push fit).

SP-010 and SP-011 sputtering modules have efficient active cooling, which allow continuous coating times up to 50 minutes - ideal for applications requiring thicker films.

A wide range of sputter targets are available for SEM, FIB and thin film applications.

For SEM applications the SP-010 will deposit fine grain coatings for high resolution imaging. For the smallest grain size coating Cr, Ir and W are widely used (turbo pumped CCU-010 HV base unit required).

SP-011 has a different design of sputtering magnetron and is recommended for thin film applications requiring high sputtering rates and thicker films than standard EM applications.

Options and accessories

In addition to the modules above, there is a large selection of accessories, including stages, PC-based Coating LAB software, and sputter targets.

 

 

 

 

Please contact our Application Specialists to discuss your application and requirements: [email protected]