Mini E-beam evaporator : EVAP-4
The Evap-4 is a compact, efficient 4-pocket mini e-beam evaporator with co-evaporation capability. It enables precise deposition of metals like Gold, Silver, and Chrome, with minimal heat load on the substrate compared to thermal evaporators and e-beam hearths, by direct heating the crucible with an electron beam.
The Mini E-Beam Evaporator is a cutting-edge tool designed for high-precision thin-film deposition. Ideal for research and production environments, this compact system uses an electron beam to directly heat the evaporant in a crucible, allowing for the deposition of metals with exceptional control. Compared to traditional electron beam hearths, the Mini E-Beam Evaporator offers superior efficiency, reduced heat load on the substrate, and the ability to co-evaporate multiple materials simultaneously, making it a versatile and reliable solution for various coating applications. The evaporator is ideally suited for lift-off processes and contact metallisation.
The Evaporator is available in three versions: Single Pocket Mini E-Beam (EVAP – 1), Compact Four Pocket Mini E-Beam (EVAP – 4C), and High Capacity Four Pocket Mini E-Beam (EVAP – 4).The Evap-4 is fully UHV compatible and can be supplied individually or integrated into our NL-CUBE and custom-built NEXUS system.
Key Features
- Co-evaporation of up to 4 materials
- Compact source design
- Low thermal load on substrates
- Combined 4-channel power supply
- Flux measurement for rate monitoring
- Fully UHV compatible
- Bakeable up to 250°C
- Manual or pneumatically controlled shutter
- Customizable in-vacuum length
Evap Specifications
| EVAP Options | EVAP – 1 | EVAP – 4C | EVAP – 4 |
| Mounting flange | NW40CF (2.75″ O.D.) | NW40CF (2.75″ O.D.) | NW63CF (4.5″ O.D.) |
| UHV compatible | Yes, bakeable up to 250°C | Yes, bakeable up to 250°C | Yes, bakeable up to 250°C |
| In vacuum length | 300mm – special length requirements can be discussed | ||
| In-vacuum diameter | 32mm | 34mm | 57mm |
| Co-evaporation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Number of pockets | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Available crucibles | 210, 390, 1000mm3 | 210, 390mm3 | 210, 390, 1000mm3 |
| Crucible Materials | Mo, Ta, VC, W | Mo, Ta, VC, W | Mo, Ta, VC, W |
| Crucible Liners | PBN, Al2O3 | PBN, Al2O3 | PBN, Al2O3 |
| Rod dimensions | Φ 4mm, 28mm long | Φ 2mm, 28mm long | Φ 4mm, 28mm long |
| Flux monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum power | 250W | 250W | 250W |
Publications
J. Joseph, V. Broadley, S.R. Saranu, M. Vaughan Download file
Frequently Asked Questions
The Evap-4 is a compact, UHV-compatible mini electron beam evaporator developed by Nikalyte Ltd, a UK based PVD manufacturer. It uses a focused electron beam to directly heat a crucible, enabling precise thin-film deposition of metals such as gold, silver, chromium, platinum, and titanium. It is available in three variants: EVAP-1 (single pocket), EVAP-4C (compact four pocket), and EVAP-4 (high capacity four pocket).
Yes. The EVAP-4 and EVAP-4C variants support co-evaporation of up to four materials simultaneously and independently, making them ideal for alloy deposition and multilayer thin-film processes. The EVAP-1 (single pocket) does not support co-evaporation.
Yes. All Evap-4 variants are fully UHV compatible and bakeable to 150°C, making them suitable for integration into UHV deposition systems and surface science experiments where contamination-free conditions are essential.
The Evap-4 has been characterised for deposition of gold, silver, copper, aluminium, nickel, tin, chromium, titanium, platinum, and tungsten. Nikalyte has published technical notes with deposition rate and flux current data for these materials.
Yes. The low thermal load on the substrate and high deposition precision make the Evap-4 particularly well suited for lift-off processes and contact metallisation, including applications in semiconductor device fabrication and research.
Yes. The Evap-4 can be supplied as a standalone instrument or integrated into Nikalyte’s NL-CUBE compact PVD system or a custom-built system, allowing it to be combined with other deposition sources for multi-technique thin-film workflows.