Thermal
Evaporation
Services
High-vacuum thermal evaporation for precise metal and dielectric thin film deposition. Angstrom-level thickness control, 99.99% purity source materials, and in-situ QCM monitoring for semiconductor research and prototype device fabrication.
Request a QuoteThermal Evaporation System
Precision Thin Film
Deposition
DR Research Foundry provides thermal evaporation deposition services for semiconductor research, MEMS fabrication, photonic device development, and advanced materials research. Our high-vacuum system enables the deposition of high-purity metal, alloy, and dielectric thin films with angstrom-level thickness control.
Thermal evaporation is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique in which source material is resistively heated to its evaporation point under high vacuum. The resulting vapor flux condenses on the substrate surface, forming a dense, continuous thin film with excellent adhesion and precisely controlled thickness.
Our system is equipped with an in-situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for real-time deposition rate monitoring, a programmable shutter for precise thickness control, and a rotating substrate holder for uniform film coverage across the full wafer area.
| Base Pressure | ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁷ Torr |
| Deposition Rate | 0.1 – 10 Å/s (controllable) |
| Thickness Uniformity | < ±3% across 4" wafer |
| Film Thickness Range | 5 nm – 2 µm |
| Substrate Size | Coupons to 4" wafers |
| Rate Monitor | In-situ QCM |
| Substrate Rotation | Yes — planetary rotation |
| Source Configuration | Resistive / e-beam capable |
From Substrate to Film — Our Process
Metals, Alloys & Dielectrics
Deposition Parameters
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Pressure | ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁷ Torr | Turbomolecular + roughing pump combination |
| Deposition Rate | 0.1 – 10 Å/s | Programmable ramp; QCM closed-loop or open-loop control |
| Film Thickness | 5 nm – 2,000 nm | Verified by profilometry or ellipsometry post-deposition |
| Thickness Uniformity | < ±3% (4" wafer) | Enabled by planetary substrate rotation |
| Substrate Size | Coupons – 4" wafers | Custom fixturing for non-standard substrates available |
| Substrate Temperature | RT – 300 °C | Heated stage available on request |
| Multi-Layer Deposition | Yes (sequential) | Bilayer and trilayer stacks without breaking vacuum |
| Source Purity | ≥ 99.99% (4N) | 5N sources available on request |
| Lift-Off Compatible | Yes | Optimized for PMMA and LOR bilayer resist systems |
Device Platforms We Support
The Right Process
for Your Application
Thermal evaporation is the preferred deposition method for applications requiring high film purity, sharp material interfaces, and lift-off-compatible film morphology. Because deposition occurs in high vacuum without plasma bombardment, thermally sensitive substrates and delicate resist patterns remain undamaged — a critical advantage over sputtering for fine-feature patterning.
The directionality of evaporated flux enables excellent shadow mask deposition and precise edge definition during lift-off, making thermal evaporation the method of choice for gate metal definition in transistor fabrication and electrode patterning in sensor devices.
Flexible Engagement
for R&D Teams
DR Research Foundry works directly with principal investigators, device engineers, and program managers to develop deposition recipes tailored to your specific device requirements. We offer both standard and custom process flows, with full in-house metrology to verify film quality before shipment.
Our team supports single-run prototype depositions, iterative process development campaigns, and small-volume production runs. Process documentation, deposition logs, and characterization data are provided with every order to support publication and process transfer requirements.
Ready to Discuss Your
Deposition Requirements?
Submit your process requirements and our engineering team will respond with a detailed technical assessment and project quote within 2 business days.
Contact Our Team