Installation and commissioning of a large area coating system for neutron and X-ray optical devices

A 9 meter long DC/RF sputtering cylindrical coating system which is designed and built indigenously for coating of neutron supermirrors and grazing incidence hard X-ray mirrors on large area substrates has been installed and commissioned recently. The performance of the system has been tested by depositing Ti films on glass substrate of 1500mm X 150mm size. By depositing Ti films on several small area c-Si substrates placed over the length and breadth of the substrate holder, and by subsequent characterization by GIXR measurement, it has been observed that films with bulk-like density and very low surface roughness can be obtained in the above system. The thickness uniformity achieved in the deposited films is within ±3.5% over the 1500mm length and within ±4.8% over the 150mm width.