From Lab Challenges to Coating Breakthroughs: Minilab 090 at ArabLab 2025

The global thin film coatings market is valued at over USD 13.8 billion in 2024 and continues to grow steadily, driven by applications in semiconductors, optoelectronics, solar energy, and aerospace. 

Flexible thin films alone account for USD 14.6 billion in 2025, with a projected rise to nearly USD 27 billion by 2035. As industries expand into flexible electronics, photovoltaics, and advanced consumer devices, laboratories face increasing pressure to deliver high uniformity, reproducible results in less time and with fewer resources. 

Achieving this requires deposition tools that are both precise and adaptable to evolving project needs. This is exactly where the Moorfield Minilab 090 steps in.

When Conventional Deposition Tools Fall Short

Thin film research drives breakthroughs in microelectronics, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, and advanced materials. Yet traditional deposition systems often force trade-offs:

• Large scale tools demand significant space and investment
• Single process systems limit flexibility when multiple techniques are needed
• Switching between workflows increases downtime and material waste

Engineering That Powers the Minilab 090

At the heart of the Minilab 090 Modular PVD System is a tall, high aspect ratio stainless steel chamber. This design ensures long working distances, a critical factor in achieving exceptional coating uniformity during evaporation. To deliver this level of precision across different research and production needs, the system combines versatile deposition options, robust specifications, and a scalable architecture.

Deposition Capabilities:

• Thermal evaporation for clean, precise deposition of metals, dielectrics, and organics
• Magnetron sputtering for producing dense, high quality, adherent coatings

System Specifications:

• Handles substrates up to 11 inches in diameter
• Glovebox compatible with front sliding door for loading and rear door for service access
• Turbomolecular pumping to achieve base pressures below 5 × 10⁻⁷ mbar
• Touchscreen HMI or PC for recipe programming and process monitoring
• Cleanroom compatible with integrated safety interlocks

Scalable Platform Design:

• Starts as a manual evaporation system for targeted R&D applications
• Upgrades to a fully automated, multi technique platform without system replacement
• Expands with additional process modules to meet new research or production needs

This modular approach extends system life, safeguards your investment, and ensures your laboratory remains competitive as project requirements evolve.

Applications Across Research and Industry

The advanced Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD System) supports:

• Microelectronics - semiconductor layers and conductive films
• Optoelectronics - coatings for lasers, LEDs, and photonics
• Nanotechnology - thin films for nanoscale devices and MEMS
• Advanced materials - functional coatings, organic electronics, and composites
• Pilot production - pre commercialisation runs at production level quality

How the Minilab 090 Compares to Conventional PVD Systems

Hence you see that the Moorfield Minilab 090 delivers greater flexibility, scalability, and performance than conventional PVD systems, providing laboratories with a single platform that meets both current requirements and future growth.

Explore the Minilab 090 at ArabLab Exhibition 2025

At ArabLab 2025, BCL will present the Moorfield Minilab 090, the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD System) eliminating common compromises found in conventional tools. This floor standing modular system is compact, accurate, and adaptable, helping laboratories move from R&D to pilot production without needing a new setup.

At the exhibit, you will be able to:

• Watch real time process adjustments and measure the impact on coating performance
• See thermal evaporation and magnetron sputtering performed on the same platform
• Explore glovebox integration for contamination sensitive projects
• Discuss configuration options directly with technical experts

Don’t forget to visit - 

  Stall No: H2-C70

  Dubai World Trade Centre

  23–25 September 2025