Medical Device
In-Line Sputter
Coating Technology
Corrosion, wear, and body rejection are common problems for many medical devices. KDF Technologies' thin film deposition systems are in use at leading medical device companies worldwide — delivering the biocompatibility, durability, and precision that patient safety demands.
Thin Film Deposition for Medical Device Manufacturing
KDF Technologies' thin film deposition technology plays a crucial role in the production of various medical devices and products. From implants and surgical instruments to drug delivery systems and optical devices, KDF's inline sputtering systems deliver the coating quality, repeatability, and process control that the medical industry requires.
Magnetron sputtering is well suited to providing these films. Sputtering systems from KDF Technologies are in use at leading medical device companies depositing films such as Au, TiW, Ir, Ag, Zr, Ta, TaN, Ti, and TiN. With established technologies such as HIPIMS and Pulsed DC reactive sputtering, KDF is in an ideal position to personalize a tool for your unique medical device application.
KDF's team of dedicated applications, design, and vacuum experts backs every system — ensuring that each medical device manufacturer benefits from the most advanced and suitable thin film deposition process for their specific requirements.
Where KDF Thin Film Technology Is Applied
KDF's sputtering systems support a broad range of medical device coating applications — each demanding precise control over film composition, thickness, and uniformity.
Implants
Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) CoatingsProtective coatings that enhance biocompatibility, wear resistance, and osseointegration — the fusion of the implant with surrounding bone and tissue.
Biocompatible Hard CoatingsProtect both the implant and surrounding human tissue from corrosion, wear, and immune response over extended implant lifetimes.
Surgical Instruments
Thin film coatings applied to surgical tools improve durability, scratch resistance, and surface comfort. Reduced friction and improved surface properties enhance usability and precision during medical procedures.
Drug Delivery Systems
Thin film coatings modify surface properties of drug delivery devices — ensuring biocompatibility and minimizing friction to maximize patient comfort and safety throughout the device's operational life.
Optical Devices
Optical FiltersThin film coatings selectively transmit or block specific wavelengths of light for medical imaging and diagnostic applications.
Precision OpticsEnhanced performance of optical components in medical devices including microscopes, endoscopes, and OCT imaging systems.
Microscopy & Microanalysis Sample Slides
Thin film coatings improve the surface properties of slides used in microscopy and microanalysis, enabling precise observation and analysis of biological and tissue samples.
Medical Implants — Joint & Dental
Thin film deposition ensures implants are biocompatible, wear-resistant, and integrate well with the body — contributing to the long-term success of joint replacements, dental implants, and spinal devices.
System Features for Medical Device Applications
KDF's inline sputtering platforms are configured with a full suite of process options designed for the demanding requirements of medical device thin film manufacturing.
Upsilon Inset™ Cathode — Precious Metal Sputtering
Specifically designed for high thermal conductivity, high-value materials including Au, Pt, Pd, and Ag. Novel Upsilon-shape targets enable up to 60% target utilization — maximizing ROI on precious metal depositions.
3-Dimensional & Large Parts
Parts up to 4" in thickness can be loaded into tall horizontal 900 series systems. Pallets hold total loaded weights of up to 150 lbs (system specific) — ideal for complex orthopedic implant geometries.
HIPIMS
High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering produces highly dense, smooth, and hard films with enhanced conformality — essential for DLC coatings and high aspect ratio features on surgical and implant surfaces.
Water Pump & Process Stability
High-performance water pumps increase water vapor pumping speeds to substantially improve system throughput and process stability across all medical device deposition processes.
Water Cooling
Chamber, internal shielding, and cathodes can all be water cooled — critical for temperature-sensitive medical device substrates and precious metal deposition processes where heat management is essential.
Auto Rate Adjust (ARA)
Automatically adjusts scan speed or deposition power to compensate for target wear — maintaining a stable, validated process throughout the target's full life, as required in regulated medical device manufacturing.
Scan Velocity Control
Create custom pallet velocity profiles through the deposition zone, enabling precise control of film thickness and uniformity across complex medical device pallet configurations.
IR Pallet Temperature Measurement
Integrated pyrometer for instant pallet and part temperature feedback. Temperature readings can be integrated into recipes for controlled thermal steps — critical for substrates sensitive to process heat.
Pulsed DC Reactive Sputtering
Enables stable reactive deposition of oxide and nitride films including TiN and TaN — essential for biocompatible barrier layers, dielectric coatings, and corrosion-resistant surfaces on medical implants.
943ix & 954ix — x Series™
The 943ix and 954ix are KDF's flagship x Series™ systems for medical device applications. Their 17-inch cathode design provides improved uniformity across the full pallet — a critical requirement for validated medical device manufacturing processes where batch-to-batch consistency is non-negotiable.
x Series™ cathodes are available in Planar™, Inset™, and RF/DC LMM™ form — giving process engineers the flexibility to configure the exact deposition architecture required, from precious metal contacts to DLC protective coatings.
- 17" cathode for superior pallet-wide uniformity
- Planar™, Inset™, and LMM™ cathode configurations
- Compatible with HIPIMS, Upsilon Inset™, ARA, IR temp measurement, and water cooling
- Proven at leading implantable and surgical device manufacturers
- Full MRC batch system lineage and worldwide parts support
Ready to Discuss Your Medical Device Coating Application?
KDF's applications, design, and vacuum engineering teams are ready to help configure the right sputtering solution for your medical device manufacturing process.
