Film thickness characterization in dual-axis spin coating of a sphere

Abstract

AbstractThe versatility of spin coating technology makes it a preferred method for producing the thin film layers used to manufacture products from solar panels and smartphones to sunglasses and CDs. However, the process requires a flat, rigid substrate to produce uniform films, which limits its use to planar devices. A novel multi-axis manipulator has been developed to extend the application of spin coating, enabling controlled thin film deposition onto curved surfaces. Various rotational schemes were studied to link the flow of a liquid film over a curved surface to forces induced by complex rotational dynamics. When the angular velocity exceeds a threshold, centrifugal force dominates the flow, pushing the fluid away from the instantaneous axis of rotation. This produces axisymmetric coating profiles when using consistent single or dual-axis rotation. Areas of near uniformity present around the spin axis poles for single-axis rotation and around the substrate’s equator for dual-axis schemes. Sensitivities between the spherical substrate dynamics and the evolving fluid flow were investigated, exploring the parameters that promoted the production of uniform curved film layers for microfabrication processes. This enabled the evolution of the spin coating technique to effectively form curved polymer coatings with improved thickness control. The presented research outlines the capabilities of a multi-axis spin coating machine when used to coat spherical substrates. Therefore, enabling the use of fluid mechanics models to identify the optimal motion kinematics required to create uniform curved films.