Common Applications for Vacuum Coating

Many household items are created through the process of vacuum coating.

Simply put, vacuum coating is the process of deposition that occurs within a vacuum environment. The process may sound foreign to you so here’s a brief explanation on the common applications of vacuum coating that are used today.

Vacuum coating systems require the gas pressure to be less than ambient as well as low-pressure plasma to be present. There are a variety of methods that the material can be deposited by including: CVD, PECVD, and PVD. Basically, it depends on the specific material that’s being used.

These sputter deposition systems are a standard in today’s industries primarily due to their durability and reliability. This article will cover two of the common application types that use vacuum coating. These processes are done in a controlled environment with numerous parameters. While these products are just everyday household items that you see everywhere, it’s interesting to uncover the depths of how it’s created.

Reflective Coatings

Metal films are widely used for reflective purposes, such as vehicular mirrors. When there are no corrosive factors involved, silver is used, an example would be the back surface mirrors. Another application that almost everyone is familiar with is the compact disc, or CD. These reflector films have multiple layers that reflect certain wavelengths while others do not.

Packaging

Believe it or not, vacuum coating is also applied in polymer films and food packaging to minimize the water vapor transmission rate. Most commonly, you’ll see aluminum as the primary coating material on polymer films. Often times you’ll see multiple coating layers on applications like these due to the sensitivity of encased food.

Denton Vacuum, LLC will take care of all your vacuum metalizing needs. With a specialty in coating systems, there’s nowhere else you’ll want to go but Denton Vacuum, LLC.