Target Manufacture - Evaporation
The Edwards’ 306 coating system used to produce self-supporting films by evaporation of samples onto glass slides or backing foils.
Evaporation or physical vapour deposition, involves heating the source material until it vaporises. The vapour escapes from the source and condenses onto whatever surfaces are in its path. By positioning the work pieces or substrates, at appropriate places in relation to the source they are coated with thin layers of the source material.
The source material is heated resistively, using a filament or boat holding the source material. A high current is passed through the filament or boat.
At Daresbury there are three coating systems in the target preparation Laboratory.
- Set up for evaporating Gold only
- Is used for general evaporations
- Reduction evaporations (the reduction of an isotopic element to a pure form from its oxide form)
