What is GLAD - Glancing Angle Deposition Sputtering? Where to use?

GLAD (Glancing Angle Deposition) can be translated as "Side Viewed Deposition" if we force it into Turkish. Using this method, which is one of the thin film methods, unique nanostructures with controllable morphology are created while thin films are deposited on the substrate at a special angle.

Source: https://sites.google.com/site/sitenicolasmartin/calendar/glad-process

GLAD sputtering begins by directing a high-energy ion beam at the target material. This ion beam ensures that the fragments detached from the target surface form a line directed to the substrate according to the deposition angle, and depending on the angular position of the target, the target material is deposited on the substrate layer by layer. The deposition angle usually ranges from 60 to 85 degrees. However, it may differ depending on the desired result.

The lateral deposition angle used in GLAD sputtering leads to the formation of curved columnar structures on the substrate surface.

• Spool parameters

• Spool angle

• Spool speed

• Rotational motion of the substrate

GLAD sputtering is advantageous because of the precise control of surface roughness, porosity and thin-film microstructure. The resulting films may have novel and unique and useful properties such as improved light trapping, increased surface area, improved adhesion, and customized optical properties.

Controllable 3D nanostructures offer exciting possibilities in device and functional device development. Some of the areas where GLAD sputtering is used are:

Optical and Photonic Applications

• Anti-reflective Coatings: With GLAD, reflections can be reduced at the optical level. Glasses lenses, camera lenses or optical sensors are among the areas of use.

• Optical Filters: With the designability of nanostructures and material selection, filters can be designed that allow transition to certain wavelengths and block others.

• Plasmonic Structures: Plasmons can be used to direct electromagnetic radiation through surface plasmon polaritons*. These applications are important in many fields such as optical communication, sensor technology, photoelectric devices.

Surface Engineering and Materials Science

• Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Coatings: Water-repellent or water-attractive coating structures can be created.

• Surface Roughness Control: Thanks to the controlled nano structures, the friction coefficient or surface roughness can be changed.

• Biomedical: The biological compatibility of parts placed in the body such as implants can be increased and antibacterial coatings can be created.

Energy and Solar Cells

• Solar Cells: GLAD coatings applied to solar cells can help better trap light and increase product efficiency.

• Fuel Cells: Nanostructures of electrodes can improve the passage of carriers, increasing reaction efficiency.

Electronic and Magnetic Applications

• Magnetic Storage Media: Nanostructures can increase information storage density. Changes made can optimize data reading and writing processes.

• Semiconductors: The optimizations to be made on semiconductors have contributions such as improving carrier transitions and increasing efficiency.

The coatings made with the GLAD sputtering method can have different shapes. Spiral, zigzag and angled overlays are some of them.

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* Electromagnetic wave and charge density oscillations.