Coatings & Thin Films

Novacam Technologies Inc. designs and manufactures high-precision optical sensor systems for 3D metrology applications in industry and biomedicine. Our systems are based on low-coherence interferometry and feature fiber-based non-contact scanning probes.
Our products include:
Profilometer (profiler) systems and 3D scanners for 3D metrology, roughness measurements, thickness measurements, and cross-sectional imaging in high-precision industries
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems for tissue measurement and imaging in biomedicine and life sciences
Modular hardware components for original equipment manuracturers (OEMs) and for R&D
Custom metrology solutions based on low-coherence interferometry
Novacam products are used internationally in online high-technology manufacturing processes, QA/QC laboratories, R&D laboratories, and bio-medical research institutes. Clients value Novacam systems for their high precision, high speed, versatility of installation, the ability to inspect hard-to-reach surfaces and the ability to operate in hostile environments.
Novacam also partners with system integrators and OEMs who wish to incorporate Novacam advanced OCT platform components into custom assemblies for vertical markets.
Founded in 1997, Novacam is a privately held company.

Applications:

3D metrology in hard-to-reach spaces, such as inside bores, cylinders and narrow tubes;
Thickness of multi-layer or single-layer films;
Roughness, including shape, flatness and waviness;
Volume loss from surface wear; High aspect ratio features, such as steps, grooves, channels, steep slopes and holes;
Hostile environments including radioactive, very high temperature, cryogenic; Non-transparent material thickness with LIBS and profilometry

PHASIS is a spin-off company of the University of Geneva, which is a renowned academic research institution in the fields of thin film technology, and ferroelectric and superconducting materials. The University of Geneva is also the home institution of MaNEP, the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research Materials with Novel Electronic Properties.
PHASIS activities are concentrated on the production and distribution of gold substrates, epitaxial gold thin films and epitaxial PZT thin films for both academic and industrial research, and practical applications. Surrounded with excellent know-how and research expertise, PHASIS has a strong commitment to applied research.
PHASIS is involved in several applied research projects with both academic and industrial partners. For example, PHASIS is interested in the use of new materials to bring new insights in the field of gas sensors. Moreover, the flexibility of PHASIS' equipment allows the production of thin films with tailored properties.

Surface quality control is a perpetual challenge. PHASIS provides local probe surface analysis using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and/or Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM).
PHASIS is therefore very open to any special request.

PneumatiCoat Technologies offers several Particle ALD systems for coating powders, flats and objects. Our expertise in ALD coating processes and chemistries allow us to design and build easy to use, highly functional systems. PneumatiCoat's expertise in system scale-up can help to quickly transform your research into commercial products.

PneumatiCoat's Particle ALD Particle Coating Reactors (PCR) are the most versatile ALD systems available on the market today. ALD on particles represents one of the most exciting areas of research available to an increasingly bottoms-up world focused on surfaces and interfaces. With a modular fluidized bed chamber, researchers can easily swap their reaction chambers to quickly change chemistries and execute rapid prototyping of coatings, executing complex experimental designs with plug-and-play productivity. Small scale production can be carried out swiftly and reliably during new product definition and development exercises. The PCR series of reactors uses the same intuitive control software as the LFR series, only optimized for particle coating. The practice of particle ALD is not trivial and our team has combined decades of experience building particle coating reactors that optimize process conditions to ensure homogeneous coatings, high yields, and most importantly, reliable and reproducible results.

The PneumatiCoat laminar flow reactor (LFR) is designed for maximum functionality with minimum footprint. The bench-top series of reactors is focused on providing researchers with an affordable, easy to use system for depositing ALD coatings on flats and objects. The LFR system is capable of coating a wide range of chemistries including oxides, nitrides, phosphates, fluorides, and bare metals. Common chemistries include, but are certainly not limited to, Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, BN, AlN, Pt, W, Co, Fe, and Ni. The simplicity of the reactor is paired with intuitive and easy to use control software that allows users to quickly create and store coating recipes for consistent results and quick setup. Reactor systems are tailored to each customer's needs, which helps eliminate extraneous hardware and cost.

Many of the available ALD systems in the market today are focused on semiconductor research and are installed in cleanrooms. At PneumatiCoat Technologies we realize the tremendous opportunities that are available for ALD on objects for applications "Outside the Cleanroom". We build reactor systems that are highly adaptable to our customers applications and our Systems Team has tremendous experience building systems for applications outside of the standard semiconductor application field.