Combinatorial thin-film synthesis and automated property characterization across hundreds of compositions in a single campaign.
A campaign replaces sequential material evaluation with a single, complete composition-property map. A first campaign can serve as a standalone initial study. Multi-round programs use earlier results to direct subsequent runs toward the most informative composition regions.
Identify elements and composition ranges. We will scope the right sub-space and characterization targets together.
Up to 7 elements co-sputtered onto a 100 mm wafer in one run. 342 unique thin-film compositions. Real physical samples.
Every composition point is measured for the relevant properties: phase, mechanical, electrical, electrochemical, optical, or magnetic.
You receive a full dataset showing where the properties you need exist across the scanned composition space.
Bayesian optimization uses results to direct the next campaign toward the most informative composition sub-spaces.
Target compositions are produced as controlled uniform depositions for downstream validation, prototyping, and scale-up.
The platform is suited to any problem where composition determines functionality and the relevant space is too large to navigate one material at a time. The following domains represent active and completed campaigns.
Activity-stability tradeoffs mapped across HEA composition space using the Scanning Droplet Cell. Published results across the Ni-Pd-Pt-Ru and Co-Fe-Ni systems.
Multi-element composition screening for CO2 reduction electrocatalysts. Completed campaigns with industrial customers in energy and specialty chemicals.
Reactive co-sputtering of multi-element nitride systems. CrAlN and related transition metal nitride systems mapped by XRD phase analysis, plasma diagnostics, and nanoindentation.
Optical property mapping across multi-element composition gradients using UV-VIS reflectance spectroscopy combined with 4-point probe electrical characterization.
Systematic screening of multi-element alloy composition spaces with integrated structural and mechanical characterization.
Ternary and quaternary composition screening beyond binary TaN. 4-point probe resistivity and XRD phase mapping across the full composition gradient.
MOKE maps magnetic properties across all 342 composition points simultaneously, combined with XRD phase identification.
Corrosion potential mapping via SDC and contact-resistance mapping via 4-point probe across multi-element composition gradients.
Integrating combinatorial PVD deposition system with automated characterization instruments. Every composition point in a campaign is measured directly.
On the composition library: The 342 composition points per campaign result from a continuous lateral composition gradient inherent to the co-sputtering geometry, not separately controlled discrete depositions. For production of a single target composition, controlled uniform depositions are available following campaign-based identification.
Exploring multielement catalyst spaces requires comparing activity, early stability, phase, and surface state across composition shifts that are easy to miss with isolated hand-made samples.
Creating catalyst thin-film libraries, measuring composition and structure, and adding localized electrochemical screening when the material question calls for it.
Multielement catalyst libraries; XRF or EDX/WDX; XRD; scanning droplet cell; SECCM; data-guided follow-up.
Active regions, weak regions, and compositions worth repeat testing are separated before deeper electrochemical work. The next catalyst experiment starts from a measured map.
Selecting device-layer films requires balancing phase stability, resistivity, diffusion behavior, adhesion, thermal budget, morphology, and layer-stack compatibility before integration runs.
Building thin-film libraries across candidate compositions and process conditions, then mapping composition, XRD phase, electrical response, morphology, and scoped characterization outputs.
PVD co-sputtering; reactive sputtering; XRD; electrical mapping; morphology review; uniform test layers for stack-relevant follow-up.
Plausible film regions are identified before device builds or integration experiments. Materials that fail basic film-level constraints are removed earlier.
Exploring multielement films means tracking phase formation, magnetic response, conductivity, microstructure, and process sensitivity across a large composition space.
Building multielement thin-film libraries, measuring registered composition points, and mapping structure and selected properties across the wafer.
Up to seven co-sputtered elements; composition gradients; XRF or EDX/WDX; XRD; magnetic or electrical screening where scoped; data-guided follow-up.
Useful material regions are highlighted for repeat samples, uniform films, device-adjacent tests, or deeper scientific evaluation. Isolated sample anecdotes become a measured map.
Finding acoustic and piezoelectric film windows requires balancing composition, phase, texture, stress, thickness, microstructure, and process conditions before resonator-level builds.
Preparing thin-film libraries that vary composition and selected process variables, then mapping composition, XRD phase or texture, morphology, and scoped electrical or mechanical response.
Composition-spread films; process-window studies; XRD phase and texture; morphology review; electrical or mechanical screening; uniform film follow-up.
Plausible material and process windows are identified before device builds. Material-region questions are separated from later device-design and fabrication questions.
Mapping optical and photoactive films requires comparing transmission, conductivity, bandgap, stability, phase, roughness, absorption, and process compatibility in the same material space.
Creating thin-film libraries with controlled composition or process variation, then measuring composition, XRD phase, optical response, electrical response, morphology, and selected surface behavior.
Transparent conductor libraries; absorber films; optical mapping; electrical mapping; XRD; photoelectrochemical follow-up where scoped.
Film regions are selected for transparent conductor tests, absorber follow-up, optical coating stacks, or photoelectrochemical validation. Broad tradeoff questions become measured candidate sets.
Finding stable battery interfaces means comparing impedance growth, degradation response, adhesion, side reactions, and surface chemistry before full-cell testing consumes the experiment budget.
Fabricating thin-film libraries across interface compositions or process conditions, then measuring composition, structure, electrical or electrochemical response, morphology, and surface change.
Interface-film libraries; current-collector coatings; localized electrochemistry; morphology checks; selected uniform follow-up layers.
Candidate interface regions, measured tradeoffs, and excluded areas become visible before cell-facing validation. Follow-up coatings or test layers can move into the next cell or stack experiment.
Developing hard coatings requires balancing hardness, modulus, oxidation resistance, adhesion, thermal stability, surface finish, and process fit across many possible compositions.
Fabricating composition-spread coating libraries and measuring composition, XRD phase, microstructure, hardness or modulus where scoped, and surface or thermal response.
Nitride and oxide libraries; reactive sputtering; XRD; nanoindentation; microscopy; uniform coating follow-up.
Specific coating compositions and process ranges are selected for coupon, wear, oxidation, adhesion, or production-format testing. Broad chemistry options become narrower validation inputs.
Selecting corrosion-resistant conductive coatings requires low contact resistance, stable surface chemistry, and process-compatible layer formation before long component or stack tests.
Fabricating composition-spread coating libraries, measuring registered positions, and mapping composition, phase, corrosion response, surface change, and contact resistance.
Co-sputtered coating libraries; scanning droplet cell; four-point probe; XRD; surface analysis; uniform follow-up coatings.
Material regions are highlighted when corrosion resistance, conductivity, surface stability, and process fit appear together. Weak regions are excluded before coupon, hardware, stack, or field testing.
You choose the elements; we create the physical material solution tailored to your specifications.
Material Screening | Accelerated Material Prototyping | Coating Solutions
We create alloys and thin-film materials. Depositing real, physical thin-film samples across a continuous composition gradient on a single 100 mm wafer. One campaign produces 342 distinct compositions. Every point is characterized directly. The result is a complete composition-property map, not a model or calculation. Rather than evaluating one material at a time, your team can screen hundreds in a single run and focus on the candidates that matter.
1. Material Screening: Finding optimum materials.
Our customers receive curated results from our data-driven screening that integrates experimental design, sample preparation and characterization in a streamlined workflow.
2. Accelerated Material Prototyping: Providing prototype samples.
Data generated under laboratory conditions is an ideal starting point for optimization, but the validation must take place under application conditions. We create coatings of almost any possible alloy both on flat and structured substrates.
3. Coating Solutions: Production scaled to your demand.
Once a material solution has been validated, the next step is the production at the scale your application requires. We collaborate with trusted manufacturing partners to deliver custom-coated materials for pilot-scale testing or industrial implementation.
Combinatorial co-sputtering: Up to 7 elements are deposited simultaneously via magnetron sputtering in a single run. DC, RF, pulsed DC, HiPIMS, and reactive sputtering (N2, O2) are all available, covering metals, alloys, nitrides, and oxides. The composition varies continuously across the wafer, producing a laterally resolved library of 342 unique thin-film compositions.
Multi-element and high-entropy systems: The platform was built for composition spaces too large to navigate sequentially. Core operating domains include transition metal nitrides, high-entropy alloys, and multi-component oxides. Transition metals and their combinations form the primary operational range of the system.
Initial study or multi-round campaign: A campaign can be a single exploratory study or a multi-round program. The first run maps a slice of the composition space. Subsequent campaigns use property data from earlier runs to direct focus toward the most informative regions.
From composition map to prototype: Once a campaign identifies target compositions, controlled uniform depositions on flat or structured substrates are available for downstream validation and prototyping. Scale-up to production is handled via established manufacturing partners.
