Spin Coater System

Update December 2011 -- Due to the number of people inquiring about this system, I have decided to start producing a Spin Coater Kit (SCK-100) that improves significantly on the design below. This fully assembled, modular kit, that comes with everything needed for R&D spin coating work and can be purchased from Ebay at a price of less than $350. This price works out significantly less than if you try building one yourself, when you consider the time involved, cost of parts, labor, and machine shop fabrication. Morever, it's over 10X cheaper than any commercial unit on the market.

If you are interested in this kit, and not ready to purchase, please fill out the online contact form, or send an email to sales@instras.com. You will be contacted in a timely manner.

Some FAQs About This Kit

Depending on your application, this kit can serve as a low cost alternative to a commercial spin-coater unit, or provide a low-cost way to test out the effectiveness of the spin-coating process, before investing in a commercial unit.

Key features of the SCK-100 are:

Low Cost - The cost of this kit is significantly less than a commercial spin-coater unit. This makes it ideal for R&D work where the benefits of a commercial spin-coater is yet to be determined. It also means that multiple units can be purchased to speed up the research process.
Compact Size - The small foot print of the SCK-100 means that it requires very little space to be set up. For example, the unit can be set up in a crowded hood, or inside a glove box.
Easy to Use - Simply turn on the unit, place sample in the chamber, and set spin speed and start the coating process.
Simple/Modular Design - To function, the unit only needs a 110V A/C power source and no vacuum pump. Also, as a result of the modular design, replacement parts can be purchased separately. For example, if the spin chamber becomes too dirty, or damaged, then it can be replaced at very little cost.
Dynamic Spin Range - Spin rates from 500 - 6,000 RPM (depends on motor employed) can be achieved with good control. This range works well for most spin-coating work.

Limitations:

Though fully functional as a spin-coating unit, the SCK-100 does have a few limitations. Firstly, for best performance, sample size should be less than 2 sq. inches since the samples are held by adhesive tape (this has proven effective at holding glass slides (3/8” x 1”) in place, up to 10,000 rpm). Bigger size sample can of course be used, but performance might not be optimal. Also since there is no computer controlled ramp function, the ability to optimize the spinning process might be limited. In short, based on your particular application, this unit can be all you need, and if it is not, then a commercial spin-coater can be purchased.

This was my attempt to build a low cost spin-coater system. For about $70.00 dollars in parts and some ingenuity (and access to the colleges machine shop), I was able to put together the system shown below. Ironically, we latter purchased a commercial spin-coater for $5000.00, but I saw little difference in the sample prepared using the one I built. In my opinion, the only reason to buy one of those things is to get better control of the overall spinning process which is needed by some applications. However, most people just need something that goes around fast, and holds a small sample for R&D work.