Custom ALD Process Development, Research & Prototyping

Custom ALD Research and Development

Developing a new coating often requires more than selecting a material from an existing process library. VaporPulse supports research teams and product developers with custom ALD process development, sample coating, and prototype evaluation. Whether the challenge involves a new substrate, specialized film chemistry, or unusual part geometry, our team can help investigate technical feasibility and identify a path toward repeatable processing.

Standard ALD processes are usually developed on flat silicon wafers at fixed temperatures. Real components rarely match those conditions. Custom development becomes necessary when:

• The substrate cannot tolerate the temperature of a standard recipe

• The film must meet a specific electrical, optical, chemical, or mechanical target

• The part geometry requires longer exposures or special fixturing

• A new material or multilayer stack has no existing process

• Adhesion or nucleation on the substrate is poor with a standard chemistry

We work as an extension of your engineering team, with direct access to the people running the process and room to iterate as results come in.

Coating Feasibility Studies

A feasibility study answers whether a coating can be applied to your part and perform as intended before you commit to a larger program. We evaluate:

• Substrate compatibility: Material composition, outgassing, and how the surface responds to the precursors.

• Thermal limits: The maximum temperature the part can see without damage or distortion.

• Chemistry compatibility: Whether precursors or by-products could react with or degrade the substrate.

• Surface condition: Cleanliness, roughness, and pre-treatment needed for good nucleation and adhesion.

Prototype and Sample Coating

Prototype coating runs produce parts you can test in your own application. Each development cycle is planned around a clear evaluation goal, such as film thickness, coverage, adhesion, barrier performance, or electrical behavior.

• Sample preparation: Cleaning, handling, and fixturing suited to the part and the coating.

• Witness coupons: Reference samples coated alongside your parts for thickness and film checks.

• Development cycles: Iterative runs that adjust process parameters based on your test feedback.

Planning to send parts? See how to package and ship prototype parts for ALD coating.

Custom ALD Chemistry Development

When a target film or substrate needs a new process, we work through precursor selection, co-reactant choice, and deposition parameters. Our ALD coating materials and thin-film design page outlines the film families we work with.

• Precursor selection: Reactivity, volatility, thermal stability, and compatibility with the substrate.

• Deposition parameters: Temperature, pulse and purge times, exposure, and cycle counts tuned for the part.

• Material challenges: Nucleation delays, impurity incorporation, film stress, and interface quality.

Pilot Production and Process Transfer

Once a process works on prototypes, the focus shifts to running it the same way every time. We help move developed processes toward pilot and low-volume production by addressing:

• Repeatability: Documented parameters and run-to-run checks to keep results consistent.

• Capacity: Batch size, fixturing, and cycle time considerations for larger quantities.

• Scaled work: Continued coating at VaporPulse, or process transfer to your facility, including custom ALD reactor systems built for the process.

Working with VaporPulse

1. 01

   Initial consultation

   Discuss goals, constraints, and what success looks like for the coating.

2. 02

   Scope and plan

   Agree on the development stages, sample quantities, and evaluation criteria.

3. 03

   Development and coating

   Run development cycles and coat samples, with regular progress updates.

4. 04

   Deliverables

   Coated parts plus the process and run information agreed for the project.

5. 05

   Next steps

   Plan further iterations, pilot production, or process transfer.

We understand that R&D work often involves unreleased designs and proprietary materials. We are happy to discuss confidentiality requirements, including NDAs, before you share sensitive details.

Frequently Asked Questions