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

1. Define

2. Simulate

3. Analyze

4. Optimize

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.