Implementation of an Automated Film Deposition Equipment under the sol/gel Dip-Coating Technique

Abstract

We present the design, construction, and implementation of thin film deposition equipment based on the Sol/Gel dip-coating technique for the fabrication of coatings under controlled deposition conditions and working environment at ambient temperature and pressure. The deposition system includes a 304 stainless steel structure and a moving platform that holds the substrate and is transported along vertical axes at a deposition distance of up to 30 cm in height. The mechanical and electronic design was considered, using computer-aided development and dimensional validation (for the structure and the motion transmission system) and the programming of the system using the Arduino platform. The design focused on the deposition speed control for the functional equipment operations, whose operating principle is based on a PWM scheme, achieving an immersion/extraction speed parameter in ranges between 1.5 cm/s and 3.5 cm/s (with a resolution of ± 0.2 cm/s). The operation of the equipment and the reproducibility of the deposits were tested by studying the optical properties of CuCoMn coatings on glass. A substrate immersion/extraction speed of 1.5 cm/s and precursor agitation time (0.83 h - 0.98 h) were used, obtaining absorbances higher than 90%. In conclusion, the implemented prototype will allow the research group to produce reproducible thin films of better quality than those made manually, which can be produced at a low cost and offer the possibility of sustainable maintenance of the equipment.