Custom ALD Reactor Design
Standard deposition equipment may not accommodate every component geometry, process chemistry, or research requirement. VaporPulse offers custom ALD reactor and tooling solutions for specialized applications. Our team can discuss system design requirements involving chamber configurations, precursor delivery, gas handling, temperature controls, and process conditions.
Commercial ALD tools are usually designed around wafers or flat substrates. Custom equipment makes sense when your parts, chemistry, or workflow don't fit those systems, for example:
Parts that are too large, long, or irregular for standard chambers
Coating internal surfaces that need flow through the part
Powders, porous media, or other substrates that need special handling
Precursors or co-reactants that standard tools don't support
Research setups that need flexible configurations or added instrumentation
Bringing a process developed at VaporPulse in-house
Specialized ALD Chamber Configurations
The chamber is designed around the parts it will coat. We consider:
Geometry: Chamber shape and flow path matched to the component and the surfaces to coat.
Chamber dimensions: Sized for your parts and batch requirements.
Component handling: Fixturing, loading, and support that avoid shadowing and damage.
Process access: Ports for monitoring, sampling, and maintenance.
Precursor Delivery and Gas Handling
Reliable ALD depends on delivering precise, repeatable precursor doses and purging completely between them. Delivery systems are configured for the chemistry being used, including:
Precursor sources sized and heated for the vapor pressure of each chemical
Fast-acting valves and heated lines to prevent condensation
Inert gas carrier and purge flows
Exhaust handling and by-product trapping suited to the chemistry
Temperature and Pressure Controls
Film quality and conformality depend on stable process conditions. Our systems address substrate and wall temperature control, heated delivery lines, chamber pressure regulation, and vacuum pumping matched to the process. Where needed, process monitoring and automation can be integrated for consistent, reproducible runs.
Custom ALD Tools for Research
Research groups often need flexibility more than throughput, such as switching precursors, testing new substrates, or adding in-situ measurement. We design R&D systems that make experimentation practical, and we can support the process work through our ALD process development service.
Reactor Design and Development Process
- 01
Requirements gathering
Define the parts, films, chemistries, throughput, facility constraints, and safety requirements.
- 02
Engineering review
Evaluate design options and agree on the system architecture and scope.
- 03
Design and fabrication
Build the chamber, delivery, control, and vacuum subsystems.
- 04
Validation
Qualify the tool with test runs that confirm process performance.
- 05
Training and support
Train your operators and provide ongoing technical assistance.
Request a Custom Reactor Consultation
To evaluate a system project, it helps to share:
The parts or substrates to be coated, with dimensions and quantities
Target films and any chemistries already in use
Required process temperatures and pressures
Throughput and batch size goals
Facility constraints such as space, utilities, and exhaust
Timeline and budget range
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why choose a custom ALD reactor over a commercial system?
Custom reactors make sense when your parts, chemistries, or workflow don't fit standard wafer-oriented tools, such as large or irregular parts, internal surfaces, powders, or unusual precursors. A custom system is designed around your process rather than the other way around.
Q2. Can you help develop the process as well as the equipment?
Yes. We can develop and prove a process on our own systems first, then design equipment to run it in your facility, along with training and ongoing support.
Q3. Do you provide training and support after delivery?
Yes. We provide operator training and technical support so your team can run the system and process with confidence.
Q4. What information do you need to scope a custom reactor?
The parts or substrates you plan to coat, with dimensions and quantities, target films and chemistries, required temperatures and pressures, throughput goals, facility constraints such as space, utilities, and exhaust, plus your timeline and budget range.
Q5. Can a custom ALD reactor coat the inside of parts?
Yes. Custom systems can route precursor flow through a part's internal channels or hold complex parts in fixtures designed to avoid shadowing, which is difficult with standard wafer-oriented chambers.
