KDF Sputtering
Technology
From hard coatings and decorative films to state-of-the-art microchip metallization and medical device applications — KDF sputtering technology is engineered for the full spectrum of thin film production.
KDF's in-line sputtering platforms are designed to support every major sputtering mode — DC magnetron, RF, pulsed DC, reactive, and HiPIMS — with proprietary cathode technology, precision gas management, and in-situ process monitoring that set the standard for batch production at scale.
Reactive Sputtering
KDF Technologies has extensive experience designing reactive sputtering batch coating production systems. Several optional features set KDF apart in reactive process control — from gas delivery architecture to power supply selection.
Optimally Designed Gas Rings
KDF's gas rings inject reactive gas directly into the sputter plasma at the target — particularly effective for nitrogen, an intermediately chemically active gas. The ring geometry utilizes plasma energy to make the reaction more favorable and consistent across the substrate area.
Pressure Control Package
All KDF systems include downstream pressure control paired with highly accurate Mass Flow Controllers (MFCs). This maintains a constant rate of reactive gas injection throughout the process — the most reliable pressure control technique for reactive sputtering environments.
Prompt Gas Injection
Reactive gas MFCs are located as close as possible to the gas injection port on the chamber, enabling rapid flow rate changes with minimal lag — critical for tight process window control and run-to-run repeatability.
Advanced Power Supplies
KDF utilizes pulsed DC supplies with a wide range of pulse frequency and reverse time for conductive target reactive sputtering — outpacing arcing for a more stable, high deposition rate process. KDF also specializes in reactive RF sputtering with in-house made, system-tuned matching networks.
Plasma Emission Monitoring (PEM)
KDF continues to innovate in reactive sputtering with specially designed, patented sputter sources and integrated Plasma Emission Monitoring — giving process engineers real-time visibility and feedback control over deposition chemistry.
Sputter Sources for Reactive Processing
KDF's LMM sputter source is purpose-designed for reactive sputtering. It reduces the build-up of reacted species on the target surface, decreasing the potential for arcing and process instability — ensuring higher uptime and more predictable film chemistry run over run.
PEM Integration & Software Control
KDF integrates PEM with precisely placed optical sensors and intuitive software controls. PEM tracks the relative emission intensity of ionized species in the sputtering plasma and controls reactive gas flow to maintain an emission intensity setpoint — correlating directly to deposition rate and reactive gas concentration in the deposited films.
KDF Technology Pillars
Linearly Moving Magnetron (LMM™)
The LMM is a KDF proprietary design that solves the challenge of full-face target erosion. An oscillating magnet behind the target sweeps the plasma across the full target surface, achieving uniform full-face erosion and high target utilization. By design, the LMM delivers superior process stability and repeatability from run to run — and across the full target lifetime — translating directly to higher productivity and lower cost of ownership.
Enhanced Rotating Planetary Pallet (ERPP™)
The ERPP is a KDF design that achieves exceptionally high within-wafer and wafer-to-wafer uniformity — sub-1% — with tight repeatability. Referenced in Vacuum Technology and Coating (December 2002), the ERPP is available across all sputtering modes and can be deployed for DC Magnetron, RF, Pulsed DC, Reactive, and HiPIMS sputtering processes. Read the related publication →
Down & Side Sputtering Geometries
KDF offers both down-sputtering and side-sputtering configurations across multiple system sizes — with deposition areas ranging from 12" × 12" to 26" × 30". Both geometries support all major sputtering modes and are optimized for different substrate types, throughput requirements, and cleanroom footprint constraints.
Metal & Dielectric Sputtering
KDF platforms support both metal and dielectric sputtering across a wide range of substrate types and sizes — including Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs) such as ITO and ZnO. This flexibility makes KDF systems well-suited for photovoltaics, flat panel displays, optical coatings, and advanced semiconductor metallization.
High-Vacuum Loadlock & Pre-Heat
All KDF systems can be equipped with a high-vacuum load lock and substrate pre-heat option, allowing substrates to be pre-treated prior to entering the deposition chamber. This reduces outgassing, shortens pump-down cycles, and improves adhesion and film quality — particularly important for hermetic and medical device applications.
Supported Sputtering Modes
KDF in-line systems support the full range of modern PVD sputtering modes — enabling process development teams to transition from R&D to production on a single platform family without sacrificing flexibility or throughput.
DC Magnetron
The workhorse of production sputtering. High deposition rates for conductive metals and alloys with excellent run-to-run uniformity via LMM technology.
RF Sputtering
Enables deposition of dielectric and insulating materials. KDF's in-house matching networks are tuned to each system for stable, repeatable RF processes.
Pulsed DC
Suppresses arcing during reactive processes. Wide adjustment range for pulse frequency and reverse time enables high-rate deposition with dielectric targets.
Reactive Sputtering
Full reactive sputtering capability with optimized gas ring delivery, MFC-based pressure control, and optional PEM closed-loop feedback.
HiPIMS
High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering for extremely dense, smooth thin films with superior adhesion — available across the KDF platform family.
Multi-Mode Capability
ERPP planetary pallet available across all modes. Single-pass and multiple-pass deposition supported. R&D and production cluster tool configurations available.
All Modes Available Across KDF Platforms
Dielectric Deposition at High-Metallic Rates
High-rate processes for dielectric film deposition have been developed using pulsed DC reactive sputtering on KDF scanning batch tools — delivering dramatically faster throughput compared to conventional RF magnetron methods.
Reference: Photonics Spectra, pp. 30–31, November 2002.
Let's Talk Process
Our process engineers can help you identify the right sputtering mode, cathode configuration, and system platform for your specific application and substrate requirements.
