Simultaneous deposition and lamination process in vacuum

Abstract

Laminating a protective layer onto a freshly deposited metal film on a web in a vacuum chamber is very useful in many applications where the deposited film must be protected from scratches or from reacting with the atmosphere when it is removed from the vacuum chamber. Some materials will oxidize in the atmosphere very quickly, causing undesirable changes in the film’s properties. When a laminated protective coverlay is used, the material can be protected until it is further processed or put into final use. A process combining the deposition and lamination in one pumpdown and pass through the machine involving the evaporation of highly reactive material, such as bismuth, onto a polycarbonate substrate in a roll-to-roll system is described. Immediately following the deposition, the coated substrate moves to a section of the vacuum chamber where a heat sealable coverlay film is bonded to the coated substrate and then rewound onto a take-up roll. A comparison of the film properties with and without the in situ lamination will be presented.