Intlvac Thin Film is proud to say that we are among the world leaders in gold coatings and deposition. Gold is not simply something that looks beautiful, but it is also very versatile. We have worked with it for over twenty years, using a variety of techniques, and have developed some of the most unique ways of depositing it.

Gold Mirrors

Intlvac is able to fabricate high quality mirrors through our sputtering systems. The Nanochrome Atlas V is a robust system that we used to produce 500mm diameter gold mirrors atop borosilicate glass and fused silica. Argon plasma is used to clean the substrate before any deposition. Using magnetron sputtering, we then deposit adhesion layers to our substrate and then follow up with our main material. These mirrors are excellent IR reflectors, which is a lesser known property of gold. This product is a highlight example of our expertise in adhesion.

Metalized Optical Fiber

Our fiber metalization services have been used by a variety of customers. We have re-coated FBGs, metalized ends and mid span sections with as long as a Km on each end, and have made internal IR reflectors on fiber ends. We have developed processes with and without adhesion layers. Check our Fiber Metalization page to learn more.

Irregular Geometries

Through our R&D, we have refined ways to coat gold onto irregular geometries. Doing so with gold was an impressive feat in and of itself because it is a material that resists adhesion to many surfaces. Shown here is a gold bowl with extremely rough geometry. It is difficult to see, but its depth is ~10cm. The gold coating shows no bubbling, nor are there any gaps in the crevasses. We can add scratch resistant coatings in addition as well.

In addition, these 500u Graphite Spheres were also coated using one of our sputtering systems via a unique process. A conformal coating can be applied to small parts and powders.

Gold on Polymer

Intlvac's proprietary low temperature deposition technique allows for thin film gold coatings on polymers and other temperature sensitive substrates. This unique method is ideal for applications such as flexible, lightweight electronics or microfluidic technology often seen in automation and handheld diagnostic devices. In addition, while gold typically requires an adhesion layer to facilitate reliable coating, our innovative processing techniques allow us to skip the adhesion layer altogether and deposit ultrathin gold films down to only a couple of nanometers thick.

View our Video Series on Gold