The plain version

xemX makes related material variants, measures them, and narrows the candidates for the next sample or test.

Many coating and material programs are slowed down by the same constraint: there are more plausible options than there is time, budget, supplier bandwidth, prototype capacity, or validation capacity. A coating, catalyst, contact layer, barrier layer, nitride, oxide, alloy, optical film, or product surface can have hundreds or thousands of possible composition and processing variants. Testing one full product, device, coupon, or hardware sample at a time is often too slow as the first screening step.

xemX approaches that problem by making a structured set of related thin-film or coating samples on one wafer. Instead of preparing one composition, then another, then another, a campaign creates a material library: a physical sample that contains a controlled range of compositions across its surface. The same wafer can then be measured at predefined positions. Each position has coordinates, a composition, a structure, and selected properties.

The output is a measured map that helps decide which composition window, process window, coating variant, or sample format is worth repeating, ruling out, or turning into follow-up films, coated samples, scoped test structures, or inputs for downstream validation.

1. DefineChoose the element set, composition range, target response, and later validation path.
2. DepositCreate a thin-film library with many related material variants on one wafer.
3. MeasureMeasure composition, structure, and the selected property or surface change.
4. MapConnect every measurement back to wafer position and material composition.
5. SelectChoose composition windows, process windows, or coating variants for repeat deposition, a narrower campaign, or later validation.
6. Follow upDeposit selected compositions as controlled films, coated samples, or scoped test structures when the next step needs a physical sample.
Concept visual of a circular wafer library with a smooth composition gradient.

Wafer library

A circular wafer carries the composition gradient and registered measurement coordinates.
Concept visual of a circular wafer selection map.

Selected library region

Measured wafer regions identify candidates for repeat deposition or a narrower campaign.
Concept visual of separate uniform coated samples in a tray.

Follow-up samples

Selected compositions become separate uniform samples for the next validation format.

Project starts

A project can start with a broad screening campaign or a narrower prototype sample.

Screening campaign

  • Use this when the material or coating space is still broad.
  • xemX creates many related variants and maps which composition or process windows deserve follow-up.
  • The output is a measured shortlist for repeat deposition, supplier discussion, or deeper validation.

Prototype coating project

  • Use this when the target coating, film, stack, or supplier question is already narrower.
  • xemX can use sputter deposition to make small-format prototype coatings, coated coupons, controlled films, or scoped test structures.
  • The format depends on substrate, geometry, layer stack, measurement route, and the later validation format.

Follow-up deposition

  • Use this after a screening campaign identifies a candidate composition, process window, or coating variant.
  • Selected compositions can be repeated as controlled films, coated samples, or scoped test structures.
  • Final product, device, field, or qualification testing still belongs downstream.

When to use xemX

Use a physical screening campaign when validation is too expensive to run blindly.

The best fit is a decision that can be tested through real coating or thin-film variants and measured properties before a larger supplier, prototype, device, or field test.

Supplier samples are too sparse

  • The available samples do not cover the color, durability, corrosion, optical, or process window under consideration.
  • xemX can create a controlled physical library instead of comparing only a few fixed options.
  • The result is a measured shortlist for supplier discussion, follow-up films, or coated samples.

Prototype or device tests are too slow

  • Full product, device, coupon, or hardware tests are not the right first screening steping step for a large option space.
  • xemX maps many related variants before the expensive test starts.
  • The next step can be a repeat deposition, narrower campaign, follow-up film, coated sample, or selected test structure.

Multiple properties must be balanced

  • Appearance, durability, conductivity, corrosion, phase, texture, or optical response can move in different directions.
  • Measured maps expose tradeoffs before the later validation route is chosen.
  • xemX identifies the coating variants, composition windows, or process windows worth testing next; it does not replace product, device, or field validation.

Physical Vapor Deposition

PVD is a way to build thin films by moving material from sources onto a substrate.

Physical Vapor Deposition, usually shortened to PVD, is a family of methods for making thin solid layers. In the xemX workflow, the central route is magnetron sputtering. A target made from an element or material is placed in a vacuum system. A plasma knocks atoms out of the target. Those atoms travel through the chamber and land on a substrate, where they form a film.

xemX can run multiple sputter sources together. By changing source powers and process conditions, the deposited film ratio can be adjusted before a team orders or commits to a custom alloy target.

A thin film can be much thinner than a bulk part, but it is still a physical material. Many industrial questions are surface and layer questions: coatings, contacts, barriers, electrodes, diffusion layers, bonding layers, optical films, magnetic films, or catalytic surfaces.

Co-sputtering Multiple targets are sputtered at the same time. Their material flux overlaps on the wafer, creating a spread of compositions instead of one single composition.
Reactive sputtering A gas such as N2 or O2 is added so the deposited film can form nitrides or oxides.
Process variation Deposition power, gas, pressure, temperature, and later treatment can influence film structure and properties. Those variables can be part of a campaign when they drive the decision.
Sputter-target decisions Co-sputtered libraries can test many nearby film ratios before a team commits to one custom alloy target composition or downstream validation path.
Follow-up films and sample structures After a library identifies a candidate composition window, selected compositions can move into controlled films, coated samples, or scoped test structures for the customer's later validation format.
Concept visual of a circular thin-film wafer library with a smooth composition gradient.

Composition-gradient wafer

Multiple sources can create a continuous film-composition gradient on the circular wafer.
Concept visual of a circular wafer library beside larger coated sample formats.

Scale-up path

The measured wafer positions guide separate coated formats when the next test needs a larger physical sample.

Materials libraries

A materials library is one sample that contains many related material variants.

In a standard one-sample-at-a-time workflow, a team prepares Composition A, tests it, then prepares Composition B, tests it, and keeps repeating. A materials library changes the sequence. It creates a controlled range of related compositions in one run, then measures many positions across the same physical sample.

xemX uses 100 mm wafers and 342 registered measurement positions per campaign. Registered means each measurement is tied back to a defined location on the wafer. The wafer coordinate links the measurement to the local composition.

What varies

Composition, process condition, layer state, or selected follow-up treatment.

What stays organized

Wafer position, measured element ratios, structure data, and selected property response.

Why it helps

The campaign shows patterns across a material space before the next validation format starts.

Concept visual of a circular wafer library with registered measurement points.

Registered wafer library

The wafer-level map selects positions; every point stays tied to a physical location.
Concept visual of registered positions on a circular wafer.

Registered positions

Every measurement is tied to a wafer coordinate and local composition.

Composition-property maps

The map is the decision tool.

A composition-property map connects material composition to measured behavior. The map shows where a coating becomes more corrosion resistant, where conductivity drops, where a film changes phase, where hardness improves, where optical absorption shifts, or where local electrochemical activity changes.

A single high number is rarely enough. Materials decisions usually involve tradeoffs. One composition window is conductive but unstable. Another is stable but too resistive. A third has the right property but the wrong phase. Mapping helps expose those tradeoffs early.

Composition map Shows which element ratios are present at each measured position.
Structure map Shows phase, crystallinity, texture, or microstructure signals across the library.
Property map Shows the measured response for the material question, such as resistance, hardness, corrosion response, optical response, magnetic response, or catalytic activity.
Candidate composition or process window A composition range, process range, or coating variant that deserves repeat testing, a narrower campaign, or a downstream test sample.

Characterization

Characterization tools explain what the material is and how it behaves.

Characterization means measuring the material. The decision is which measurement can resolve the next step. A campaign usually needs a core set of measurements. Some projects need deeper tools when surface chemistry, local electrochemistry, interfaces, depth profiles, or behavior near a device layer controls the result.

EDX/EDS Composition methods. They help answer: which elements are present, and in what ratio, at each measured position?
XRD X-ray diffraction. It helps answer: which phases or crystal structures appear across the library?
Four-point probe Electrical measurement. It helps answer: where is the film conductive, resistive, or changing with composition?
Nanoindentation Mechanical measurement. It helps answer: where do hardness and elastic modulus change?
UV-VIS reflectance Optical measurement. It helps answer: where do reflectance, absorption, transparency, or related optical responses change?
MOKE Magnetic measurement. It helps answer: where does magnetic response change across a thin-film library?
Scanning droplet cell (SDC) Localized electrochemistry. It helps answer: where do activity, stability, corrosion response, or surface changes appear on defined library positions?
SECCM Higher-resolution local electrochemistry. Use it when small local differences decide the material question.
XPS, RBS, NRA, atom probe Surface and depth-sensitive chemistry. Use these tools when surface oxides, buried chemistry, intermixing, or through-depth composition controls the result.
SEM, TEM, AFM, FIB, tomography Structure, morphology, cross-section, and interface tools. They help explain what the film looks like at smaller length scales.
Fit rule: start with the measurement needed to make the decision. Add deeper characterization when the first map shows that chemistry, structure, surface state, or interface behavior is controlling the result.
Concept visual of four-point probe measurement on a circular wafer.

Electrical measurement

Four-point probe data can map sheet resistance or conductivity across the wafer.
Concept visual of XRD structure measurement on a circular wafer.

Structure measurement

XRD and related tools connect phase or texture signals to the same registered wafer positions.
Concept visual of a scanning droplet cell probe over a circular wafer.

Scanning droplet cell

Local electrochemical probes measure selected wafer positions for response maps.

Fit check

A xemX project fits best when the question can be represented as a thin film, coating, surface, interface, or layer.

Usually a good fit

  • Composition or process ranges are too large to test one sample at a time.
  • The material can be represented as a thin film, coating, surface, interface, or layer-stack candidate.
  • The first decision can be made from measured composition, structure, and selected property maps.
  • Selected compositions or process windows can move into a follow-up film, coated coupon, layer-stack sample, selected test structure, or hardware-relevant test.

Needs scoping

  • The element combination requires a specific target setup or reactive route.
  • The property needs a project-specific measurement path.
  • The deciding test depends on substrate, thickness, annealing, atmosphere, seed layer, electrode layer, or intended layer stack.
  • Later validation uses partner methods or the customer's own test workflow.

Usually not the first fit

  • The question is only about bulk casting, molding, large 3D geometry, or final product qualification.
  • The material behavior cannot be approximated by a film, coating, surface, interface, or layer sample.
  • The first evidence must come from long-term field aging or full-format certification.
  • The project has no measurable property that can narrow the material space.

What comes back

A screening campaign returns measured evidence and selected next steps.

Outputs can include a physical sample library, prototype coatings or coated samples, composition maps, structure data, property maps, candidate composition windows, repeat-test recommendations, and a technical summary. When a screening campaign identifies a candidate composition window, or when the project starts from a narrower sample question, selected compositions can move into controlled follow-up coatings, coated coupons, or test layers for the next validation format. xemX does not replace final device, resonator, fab, package, or field qualification; it identifies the film or process windows that deserve that work.

Discuss project fit See application pages