Cylindrical Magnetron Sputtering System

Advanced Process Technology Pvt. Ltd. has successfully developed and commercialized India’s first Cylindrical Magnetron Source for sputtering applications. This advanced sputtering solution enables high-quality thin film deposition on internal cylindrical surfaces and also supports large-area deposition up to 2 meters.

Overview

The Cylindrical Magnetron Sputtering System is engineered to deposit uniform and high-density thin films on internal surfaces of tubes, pipes, and hollow cylindrical components as well as large-area linear substrates up to 2000 mm length.

Key Highlights

  • First indigenous Cylindrical Magnetron Sputtering System developed in India
  • Enables coating of internal cylindrical geometries
  • Supports large-area sputtering up to 2 meters
  • Target utilization up to 85%
  • Reduced material wastage and operating cost

Working Principle

The cylindrical magnetron geometry enables uniform plasma confinement around the full target circumference, leading to highly uniform target erosion. This results in a target utilization efficiency of up to 85%, significantly higher than conventional planar magnetrons, which typically achieve only 30–40%..

System Configuration

  • Cylindrical Magnetron Cathode
  • High-vacuum stainless steel chamber
  • DC / Pulsed DC / RF power supply
  • Mass Flow Controllers for process gases
  • PLC/PC-based control system

Applications

  • Internal coating of pipes and tubular components
  • Wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings
  • Functional and barrier thin films

System Configuration

Cylindrical Magnetron Cathode

  • Custom-designed cylindrical target geometry
  • Optimized magnetic field for uniform erosion
  • Suitable for metallic, alloy, and compound targets
  • Excellent thermal management for high-power operation

Vacuum Chamber

  • High-vacuum stainless steel chamber
  • Configurable for cylindrical parts or large-area substrates
  • Turbo-molecular pump with dry or rotary backing pump

Power Supply Options

  • DC for conductive targets
  • Pulsed DC for arc-sensitive processes
  • RF for dielectric materials

Gas Handling System

  • Mass Flow Controllers (MFCs) for Argon and reactive gases
  • Support for reactive sputtering with O₂, N₂, etc.

Substrate Handling

  • Fixed or rotating substrate configurations
  • Custom fixtures for tubes, pipes, and hollow components
  • Optional heating or biasing

Control & Automation

  • PLC or PC-based control system
  • Real-time monitoring of pressure, power, gas flow, and deposition parameters
  • Recipe-based process control

Parameter Specification
Target Type Cylindrical Magnetron
Target Utilization 70 – 85% (typical)
Erosion Uniformity ±5% over active target length
Coating Geometry Internal cylindrical & large-area linear
Maximum Coating Length Up to 2000 mm
Power Capacity Up to 10 kW (configurable)
Operating Pressure 1 × 10⁻³ to 1 × 10⁻² mbar
Base Pressure ≤ 5 × 10⁻⁶ mbar
Deposition Modes DC / Pulsed DC / RF
Target Materials Metals, alloys, compounds
Process Gases Ar, O₂, N₂