Functionalizing Substrates with Custom Metal Coatings

Metal coatings are used across various industries and applications to improve the properties and performance of a substrate. Adding a metal coating can enhance a material’s appearance and resistance properties, among other characteristics, making it suitable for various applications, such as electronics, medical implants, and transportation components.

In some instances, substrates need to be modified for specific properties, which is conducted by functionalization. The functionalization process involves preparing a PVD coating substrate and layering them with a protective coating. This blog post will look at how custom metal coatings are used to functionalize substrates and the benefits this technology provides.

What is the Functionalizing Process? 

If a thin substrate is available for a specific application, but its properties are not yet sufficient, functionalization is conducted to improve or modify them. A thin substrate, such as a film, plate, or sheet, can be coated using techniques like deposition, sputtering, or other coating techniques to meet the necessary criteria. Through functionalization, a substrate’s biological, chemical, electrical, or physical properties can be altered or enhanced, leading to desired properties such as better durability or optical appearance, resistance to abrasion or wear, and enhanced thermal properties. 

The functionalization process can be completed through anodizing, e-beam evaporation, electroplating, hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating and thermal spraying, depending on the required properties and their intended applications.

Types of Metal Coatings

Substrate functionalization can utilize a range of metal coatings, including aluminum, gold, platinum, silver, titanium, and more. These can be applied to substrates such as ceramics, glass, plastics, and silicon wafers. Metal coatings can also be customized to suit specific applications and industries, including substrates provided by a client.

Platypus Technologies and Custom Metal Coatings

Having custom metal coatings configured offers a range of benefits, as it ensures they meet your specific requirements. At Platypus Technologies, we provide a range of professional services for metal deposition, photolithography, surface characterization and much more. Our team of experts are highly experienced in electrochemistry, nanotechnology, sensors and surface micromachining and provide high-quality, reliable solutions for research and development, manufacturing and product development for a range of customers.

Our custom metal coatings are created using e-beam evaporation, a high-vacuum process in which metal atoms are deposited onto the substrate’s surface. They are frequently used in applications such as sensor chips, optical mirrors and electrical and optical devices.

Functionalizing substrates with custom metal coatings ensures your material properties are exactly what you require. Electrical conductivity is a priority, or chemical resistance needs to be improved, functionalization will make a substrate better and more resistance to environmental factors and other potential damage.

Contact a member of Platypus Technologies today to learn more about the benefits and applications of custom metal coatings services and why functionalization is so important.