Virtual Coater
Extract more from your PVD hardware with our simulation software
- the only film growth predictive PVD software on the market
Cost savings
Simulate it before trying it !
Fast computation
Your results in just a few minutes.
Modular
Implement your own piece of software
Optimize
Find the uttermost efficient solutions to your coatings
Versatility
Any coater configuration, any substrates.
Much more
Virtual Coater can do more than you expect, contact us about it!
Framework
Virtual Coater is the state-of-the-art, easy-to-use, PVD simulation software that will reduce your R&D costs, improve your surface finish & coatings quality, and allow you to gain a deeper understanding of your hardware and its possibilities.
1. Define
Substrate Definition
There are 3 different ways you can digitalize your substrate; Create simple geometry in Virtual Coater, import an XYZ file and transform it into a substrate, or import a Mesh file (from 3D Step file).
Create in Virtual Coater
- Virtual Coater has a 3D substrate generation module. The substrate can be of any size and created from the extrusion or subtraction of simple shapes such as spheres, semi-spheres, cylinders, pyramids, and more.
It is ideal for simple/quick simulation and analysis of coated holes and other surface defects.
Import Coordinates
- Any XY coordinate file can be used to model your substrate. X-SEM of your substrate can be digitized. From an image, the coordinates can be derived and Virtual Coater will trace and fill it to set the boundary condition of the substrate.
Ideal when you have the coordinates of cross-section, planar images and you want troubleshooting “substrates/coating” interface
Import 3d Mesh
- 3D mesh of your substrate can be fed in the software. It allows you to perform accurate simulation on your substrate that is used in-house.
Ideal for any complex substrate shapes, extremely realistic simulations.
Process Definition
Any type of PVD process can be digitize in Virtual Coater. That is independent on the type of deposition, number of sources, etc. Two of the most common used coater set up is displayed. On top, a cluster coater and bottom a in-line coater. (Substrate discretized motion in blue, sources in , point or grey and red if reactive)
- Coater Geometry
Define as many magnetrons as you would like, in any geometrical
arrangement. The distances between your targets, their arrangement, sizes and distance from the substrates define the necessary inputs to compute the fluxes at any given time hitting your substrates. Valuable information to gain as you try to optimize your substrate's coating gradient (for example).
- Type of Sources
The source definition parameters is as modular as possible. Hence it is possible to digitize any sources made of any material. Your source can be square, round, rotating source or (if needed), a point source.
- Substrate Motion
Any motion, in any directions, tilted/rotation, etc. Virtual Coater can be used to optimized actuators for different purposes. A different speed and position under a target yield a different porosity. Optimizing your motion, you'll optimize your coating final result!
Other parameter
- Targets profile
- Working temperature, temperature of substrate, deposition rate or time
- Pressure
- Masked or unmasked deposition, computation of bias, diffusion
2. Simulate
Film Growth
The physics behind the evolution of the film growth has been implemented in the software to accurately represent reality to the closest. It yields the most accurate simulated film growth currently available in the coating industry. The resulting film growth has been validated through numerous academic publications and industry-specific examples.
Column Growth
The film growth can be visualized either according to each atom or according to the columns generated by the depositing atoms. Column growth is particularly useful when you want to prioritize column formation in a specific area of your substrate. Note that the color scheme in the picture has no meaning except to make a distinction between different column formation.
Flux on Substrate
Virtual Coater can be used to assess and optimize the fluxes hitting your substrate at any given moment.
3. Analyze
Surface Roughness
The roughness of your substrates can be extracted from the thin film simulation.
Porosity
The porosity of the coated substrate is analyzed by running a probe sphere of different sizes through the film. As the probe can be placed in a pocket or hollow space within the simulated coating, it registers a porous environment. These detected pores can be classified into three types. Either it is an air-connected, occluded, or open pore. The different pores qualifications allow to identify and further optimize the coating to the required specifications.
Optical Properties
Virtual Coater allows for the analysis of the optical properties of the simulated coating. The resultant absorptance, reflectance, and transmittance of any multilayer coated structure can be computed. The software considers the porosity and particle alignment in the structure during computation. Virtual Coater will compute the refractive index spectra of all materials in the structure, the effective n & k index as a function of Z (height position) and wavelength, the reflectance as a function of the incident light angle, and much more.
Color Properties
Virtual Coater has the ability to convert visible spectra into colors. It does it through color space coordinates such as XYZ, Lab, or RBG. It will provide information on the colors according to the several light incident angles and hence provide a preliminary indication of the aesthetics of the coating.
Mechanical Properties
Virtual Coater has the ability to compute the mechanical properties of the simulated film growth. As it is an atomistic simulation software, only information about the elastic properties of the materials being deposited. Plastic deformation involves molecular interaction and is characterized by an irreversible change in the geometry of the film, hence it can not be computed by Virtual Coater.
Thermal Properties
Virtual Coater allows for the computation of the thermal conductivity of single-layer or multi-layer films and evaluates the temperature profile in the film. The computations are based on an effective medium theory, assuming each layer to be uniform in the directions parallel to the substrate.
Electrical Properties
Virtual Coater can compute the electrical properties of any multi-structured film. The effective electrical conductivity allows to gain insights into how electrons flow through the simulated coating thickness. It is based on a finite element model and can be optimized at will.
4. Optimize
Parallel computing
Virtual Coater allows for parallel computing. By varying the simulation parameters and running multiple simulations at once, you will be able to fine tune your order and find the optimal solution.
With Optima
Optimize your optical coatings directly with Optima and use Virtual Coater to fine tune the process for it.
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Film growth (Nascam)
Simulates the time evolution of atoms deposited on a substrate. It is based on the kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method.
Make Process
Create your own process by sett/ing up a deposition chamber equipped with either magnetrons or evaporation sources and moving substrate. |
Make substrate
Generates the substrate on which deposition takes place
Process tools
Three plugins are provided to help users to setup their process: REACTIVE GAZ, MAGNETRON and
SIMTRA to NASCAM.
Optic
Computes the optical response of the simulated coating
Color
Computes the color of the simulated coating
Electric
Computes the electrical properties of the simulated coating by solving the Maxwell equations with a finite elements model.
Roughness
Computes the correlation function of the simulated coating and display it like an SEM image
Slice
Creates slices of substrates or simulated coatings to have access to internal morphology.