SunSource™ sputtering sources deliver measurable performance advantages, including improved target utilization, argon gas injection through the cathode body, and stable operation throughout the target’s useful life. They are engineered to support pulsed reactive sputter deposition at pressures near 10^-4 Torr while helping reduce maintenance requirements and total cost of ownership.

The performance features available across our standard SunSource™ and SunSource™ GEN II product lines can also be incorporated into custom retrofit and upgrade solutions. Our engineering team adapts the sputtering module to integrate with the mechanical, electrical, cooling, and process constraints of an existing deposition system. While every installation must be evaluated individually, many legacy systems can be upgraded without requiring complete replacement.

We define a retrofit sputtering source as more than a replacement component. It should provide a meaningful improvement in process capability, operating reliability, target utilization, and service life. Our objective is not to reproduce the limitations of the source being replaced, but to address the underlying performance and maintenance challenges.

For production environments with demanding throughput, uniformity, and repeatability requirements, SunSource™ retrofit solutions can provide substantial operational value. They are particularly well suited for challenging applications such as precision optical coatings, reactive deposition processes, and other applications requiring tightly controlled film properties. Improved productivity, longer component life, and reduced maintenance can support a faster return on investment and a lower overall cost of ownership.

Some applications require higher deposition rates and shorter process cycles without excessive heating of the source, target material, substrate, or surrounding system components. Others are affected by recurring cooling-water leaks, process arcing, nonuniform target erosion, costly repairs, or limited access to replacement parts. SunSource™ retrofit and upgrade solutions are designed to address these practical operating challenges while improving process stability and equipment availability.

Materials Science, Inc. began developing and promoting retrofit sputtering sources in 1994. At that time, several established sputtering-system manufacturers—including MRC, Sloan, Perkin-Elmer, and Vac-Tec Systems—had exited, or were preparing to exit, the market, leaving many system owners without access to effective technical support, replacement sources, or performance upgrades.

Improved target utilization was one of the earliest advantages of our retrofit designs. Since then, we have continued to advance the performance, reliability, serviceability, and process capabilities of the SunSource™ platform. Our engineering approach considers the needs of everyone who interacts with the equipment—from the technicians responsible for installation, cooling connections, and maintenance to the scientists and process engineers developing advanced thin-film applications.

Effective sputtering-source design requires attention to both scientific performance and practical operation. By listening to customers and responding to real production challenges, we develop retrofit solutions that are reliable, maintainable, and engineered to deliver lasting value.

SunSource GEN II™ Upgrade Replacement:

• Improved water flow through the cathode body, eliminating magnet overheating and reducing source instability that previously contributed to non-uniform film deposition.
• Enabled operation at significantly higher power levels, resulting in increased deposition rates and improved process capability.
• Achieved symmetrical, uniform power distribution across the target surface for more consistent sputtering performance.
• Improved gas distribution across the target surface, addressing argon depletion issues that previously caused significant coating non-uniformity.
• Reduced plasma disturbance caused by electron loss to nearby ground planes, helping maintain a more stable sputtering zone and more uniform film deposition.
• Enabled sputtering of targets thicker than 0.125", extending useful target life and reducing the frequency of maintenance driven by target replacement.
• Increased effective target utilization by approximately 25% by weight.