How Does Materials Science, Inc.
Define a "Retrofit"?
SunSource™ sputtering sources provide measurable
benefits like improved target utilization, argon gas injection through the
cathode body, stable operation through out the useful target lifetime
during pulsed reactive sputter deposition at 10-4 torr and much
lower cost of ownership. The features and benefits described for our
standard line of SunSource™ and SunSource GEN II sources are
incorporated into the retrofit/upgrade designs we provide.
Essentially, we take the basic sputtering module and configure it so that
it fits within your existing system Usually (not always) we can do
so.
The ability to implement these features into a source
that fits within the physical constraints of an existing system is how we
define a retrofit sputtering source. We are not interested in
offering a source that performs and lasts just as poorly (but equally as
well!) as the one it is replacing at a cheap price. If you consume
one target every 5 years, you will probably run from the room clutching at
your throat about how expensive the source is, especially if your
purchased your used system on e-Bay for $5. Those interested in real
productivity or trying to implement very difficult processes like an
optical coating with less than 1% transmission adsorption will appreciate
the performance of our upgrade retrofits and how reasonably they are
priced for performance and reliability. Good value for money
provides a fast payback and low cost of ownership.
Maybe you just want to be able to "pour the
coals" (aka shorten deposition time) to a source to shorten run
times without overheating the source, target material or damaging the
substrate or the system the source is installed in. Are
you tired of constant leaks in the water lines, arcing and vastly
different rates of target erosion top to bottom of a linear source or
expensive repairs and spare parts? We can help.
Materials Science, Inc originally began offering &
advertising "retrofit" sputtering sources in early 1994.
Since then, this term has been adopted (co-opted?) by many of our
competitors. At the time, major manufacturers like MRC, Sloan,
Perkin-Elmer & Vac-Tec Systems had either completely exited the
marketplace as sputtering system suppliers or were about to and were
simply not-available to support their customer base with new and upgraded
sputtering sources that solved real problems. Our main advantage at
the time was greatly improved target utilization, but since then, we have
continued to innovate and improve our SunSource™ sputtering
sources. The guy with a "cheater bar" in his pocket to
give extra leverage to a wrench to ensure all the fasteners are
properly tightened and water lines don't leak is just as much in our mind
as the scientist trying to figure out how many angels can dance on the
head of a pin (has anyone finally figured this out?). SunSource™
sputtering sources have to satisfy both of them. Good design results
from paying attention and being responsive.
GEN II 
Upgrades
system performance in measurable terms
