Eric Volkhardt, Philipp Schulz, Dennis Barton, Ralf Bandorf, Michael Vergöhl, Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, Braunschweig, Germany
Magnetron sputtering of complex 3D parts requires simultaneous control of gas flow, plasma, sputtered particle transport, masking and macroparticle contamination. Trial-and-error process development is costly, material-intensive and offers limited insight into the underlying physics.
Fraunhofer IST has developed a modular simulation toolbox that creates an end-to-end virtual process chain for industrial sputtering coaters. Starting from a digital coater geometry, rarefied gas flow is computed using DSMC to obtain pressure and velocity fields. These results feed PICMC plasma simulations in prescribed electric and magnetic fields, from which ion fluxes on the targets and corresponding erosion profiles are derived. The subsequent transport of sputtered neutrals through the chamber is modeled to predict local deposition rates and layer thickness on substrates and coater components.
Flux histograms recorded above the substrates are used as input for a fast ray-tracing module that delivers spatially resolved thickness distributions on arbitrarily shaped, moving 3D substrates and supports complex masking and shielding configurations. Integrated numerical optimization enables systematic design of masks and shields to achieve target thickness and homogeneity. In parallel, the PALADIN module simulates trajectories of dust and macroparticles based on the plasma results, identifies contamination hotspots and assesses design or process changes to reduce coating defects.
Application to an industrial dual-magnetron coater demonstrates that the toolbox can replace many trial-and-error runs, shorten development time and time-to-market, reduce material and energy consumption and scrap, and provide deep physical insight for robust, industry-ready coating solutions.