Vacuum deposition

The deposited layers can range from a thickness of one atom up to millimeters, forming freestanding structures.

[2] The vacuum environment may serve one or more purposes: Condensing particles can be generated in various ways: In reactive deposition, the depositing material reacts either with a component of the gaseous environment (Ti + N → TiN) or with a co-depositing species (Ti + C → TiC).

A plasma environment aids in activating gaseous species (N2 → 2N) and in decomposition of chemical vapor precursors (SiH4 → Si + 4H).

The plasma may also be used to provide ions for vaporization by sputtering or for bombardment of the substrate for sputter cleaning and for bombardment of the depositing material to densify the structure and tailor properties (ion plating).

When the vapor source is a liquid or solid, the process is called physical vapor deposition (PVD),[3] which is used in semiconductor devices, thin-film solar panels, and glass coatings.