When Your Substrates
Can't Afford a Second Try
Medical implants. Compound semiconductors. Photonics. Precision defense components. The industries that trust KDF are defined by substrate cost, process sensitivity, and zero tolerance for failure. We engineer for that reality.
Built for the Hardest Thin Film Problems
Every KDF system is engineered around a simple premise: your substrate is valuable, your process tolerances are tight, and your production schedule cannot absorb rework. These are the capabilities that make that possible.
Sub-1% Film Uniformity
KDF's proprietary ERPP™ (Enhanced Rotating Planetary Pallet) achieves exceptionally tight uniformity — independently validated to sub-1% — critical for dielectric stacks, TCO films, and multilayer PVD processes where thickness variation directly impacts device yield.
ERPP™ · Linear Scanning · Velocity ProfilingSubstrate-Safe Processing
Sensitive substrates — biocompatible implant components, fragile III-V wafers, temperature-limited assemblies — require precise thermal management. KDF systems feature water-cooled chambers, shields and cathodes, and integrated IR pyrometer pallet temperature measurement with recipe-controlled hold steps.
IR Temp Monitoring · Water CoolingPrecious Metal Deposition
KDF's Upsilon Inset™ cathode is purpose-engineered for high thermal conductivity, high-value target materials — Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Silver. The LMM™ magnetron's full-face erosion maximizes target utilization, minimizing waste on materials that cost more than the system run.
Upsilon Inset™ · LMM™HIPIMS for Dense, Hard Films
High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering produces highly dense, smooth, and adherent films with superior conformality for high-aspect-ratio geometries — essential for wear coatings, barrier layers, and applications where standard DC magnetron sputtering cannot achieve the required film density or step coverage.
HIPIMS · Pulsed DCReactive Process Control
KDF's Plasma Emission Monitoring (PEM) actively controls reactive gas flow in real time, maintaining deposition rate and film stoichiometry run-to-run. Optimally designed gas rings and precision MFCs positioned close to injection ports eliminate transients that destroy batch-to-batch repeatability in reactive nitride and oxide processes.
PEM · Pulsed DC · RF ReactiveRun-to-Run Process Stability
Auto Rate Adjust (ARA) automatically compensates scan speed or deposition power as a target wears — maintaining a stable, calibrated process from first run to end-of-target-life. Combined with scan velocity profiling and PEM, your process holds.
ARA · Scan Velocity Control · PEM3D and Complex Part Loading
Parts up to 4 inches in thickness can be loaded into tall horizontal 900-series systems. Pallets accommodate total loaded weights up to 150 lbs — supporting production of pacemaker housings, hermetic feedthroughs, and other non-planar geometries without fixturing compromises that affect film quality.
900 Series · Horizontal Loading · 150 lb CapacityIn-House Process Development
KDF's R&D team has deep expertise in thin film engineering, device physics, and process integration. Our in-house metrology center, fully functional PVD tools, and tool SEM mean you're not developing a novel reactive nitride or new dielectric stack alone in production.
Metrology Center · Tool SEM · Applications EngineeringApplications That Demand This Level of Precision
KDF systems are installed globally across the industries where thin film failure is not an option.
Medical Devices
Pacemakers, cochlear implants, ICDs, neurostimulators — hermetic sealing & biocompatible films
Compound Semiconductors
III-V wafers, GaN, InP — hundreds of KDF systems installed globally in this sector
Photonics & Quantum
Laser diodes, optical components, quantum devices — ITO, AlN, ultra-uniform dielectric films
Integrated Passive Devices
IPDs, thin film circuits, resistors — demanding uniformity and tight process control
Sensors & MEMS
MEMS sensors, pressure transducers, environmental monitors — stable, calibrated thin films
Defense & Aerospace
NASA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman — MIL-spec processes, documented and repeatable
Every Sputtering Mode. Every Material Class.
KDF systems are configured for any combination of sputtering mode, substrate geometry, and material — so as your process evolves, your platform doesn't become a constraint.
Sputtering Modes
- DC Magnetron Sputtering
- RF Sputtering (in-house tuned matching networks)
- Pulsed DC Sputtering
- Reactive Sputtering (with PEM feedback control)
- HIPIMS (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering)
Material Capabilities
- Precious metals: Au, Pt, Pd, Ag
- Refractory metals: Ti, TiW, Ta, Zr, Ir, Al
- Nitrides: TiN, TaN, AlN, Si₃N₄
- Oxides: SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ITO, Al-doped ZnO
- Dielectrics at high metallic deposition rates
System Geometries
- Side sputtering — 600i, 744i, 844i Series
- Down sputtering — 900i, 974i Series
- Deposition areas from 12×12" to 26×30"
- 3D parts up to 4" substrate thickness
- High-vacuum loadlock + pre-heat option
Process Control Options
- Plasma Emission Monitoring (PEM)
- Auto Rate Adjust (ARA) — target wear compensation
- Scan velocity profiling
- IR pyrometer pallet temperature measurement
- Rockwell Automation iSeries PLC
And hundreds of medical device, photonics, and compound semiconductor manufacturers worldwide
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes KDF suitable for high-value substrate applications like medical implants?
KDF systems are designed from the ground up for substrate protection. Water cooling on chambers, shields, and cathodes controls thermal load throughout the process. Integrated IR pyrometer pallet temperature measurement gives real-time feedback with recipe-controlled hold steps. HIPIMS allows dense film deposition at lower average power, reducing heat input to sensitive substrates. These features are why leading medical device manufacturers choose KDF for depositing biocompatible films on implantable components.
What film uniformity can KDF systems achieve?
KDF's proprietary ERPP™ (Enhanced Rotating Planetary Pallet) achieves uniformity in the sub-1% range on 900-series platforms, validated in peer-reviewed literature (Vacuum Technology and Coating, December 2002). This is achieved by combining ERPP planetary rotation with the tool's linear scanning and scan velocity profiling — giving precise uniformity control across the full pallet area for both metals and dielectrics.
Can KDF deposit precious metals without excessive material waste?
Yes. KDF's Upsilon Inset™ cathode is specifically engineered for high thermal conductivity, high-value target materials — Gold, Platinum, Palladium, and Silver. Combined with the LMM™ (Linearly Moving Magnetron) which achieves full-face target erosion rather than the deep groove erosion of a stationary magnetron, KDF maximizes target utilization and reduces cost-per-run on materials that represent significant process cost.
How does KDF maintain process repeatability as targets wear?
Three interlocked systems address this. Auto Rate Adjust (ARA) automatically compensates scan speed or deposition power for the decrease in rate as a target wears. Plasma Emission Monitoring (PEM) provides real-time closed-loop control of reactive gas concentration. The LMM™ cathode's full-face erosion profile means deposition characteristics change predictably over target life — together ensuring run-to-run repeatability from a fresh target through end-of-life without manual intervention.
Does KDF provide process development support before system purchase?
Yes. KDF has an in-house R&D team with deep experience in thin film engineering, device physics, process development, and process integration. We operate a metrology center and fully functional KDF PVD tools for development — including a tool SEM. To discuss your application, contact Dr. Ammar Derraa, Director of Technology, at ammar.derraa@kdf.com or (201) 784-5005 ext. 632.
Let's Talk About Your Process
Tell us your substrate, your film stack, and your throughput requirements. We'll tell you exactly how KDF can solve it.
