Over 900 products, fast lead times, and no minimum order. When it comes to thin films and foils, why go elsewhere?
Goodfellow is continuously expanding its advanced materials offering to aid scientific developments across the globe. The company’s latest launch welcomes microfoils with permanent 0.5µm Mylar® substrate to their pre-existing foil and film range. As a result of this addition, Goodfellow now boasts the most extensive offering of ultrathin foils on the market.
What is a microfoil?
A microfoil (also referred to as an ultrathin foil or thin film) is a thin layer of metal or metal alloy (>1µm) that is placed onto a substrate. Microfoils can be manufactured using various methods including Physical Vapour Disposition and Electroplating.
What sets Goodfellow’s range of thin films apart from other suppliers?
- Unmatched selection of over 150 products and 949 variants
- Permanent Mylar® 0.5µm / 3.5µm support with alternative substrates available
- Variable thickness between 0.01µm - 1µm
- 4 disc sizes ranging from 10mm – 50mm diameter
- Manufactured in-house
- Competitive pricing with no minimum order
- Fast lead time (4-6 weeks on average with express options available)
- Free global delivery
10mm Diameter Silver Coated Mylar® Thin Film & 50mm Diameter Gold Coated Mylar® Thin Film, both made in-house at Goodfellow
What are the applications of thin metal films?
Thin metal films possess a diverse range of applications across scientific sectors.
They can be used in electromechanical systems (MEMS) within microscopic devices utilised in high-precision sensors (such as biosensors or microchips). Additionally, they may serve as thin-film batteries in medical devices, where thinner, lighter, and denser power sources are necessary. In the research industry, microfoils can act as reference materials to ascertain metal thickness and micromechanical properties. They've also recently been used to investigate nuclear fusion dynamics.
What are the advantages of 0.5µm substrate ultrathin foils?
The introduction of 0.5µm substrate thin films satisfies the evolving market demand for thinner and lighter foils. Key advantages include:
- Lighter structure
- Lower thermal and electrical resistance
- Decreased current density per area
- Better flexibility
How are Goodfellow’s thin metal films made?
Goodfellow’s thin metal films are produced on-site at their UK headquarters in Huntingdon. The production is overseen by Laboratory & Manufacturing Team Leader, Rasa Medeikyte, who has been with the company for over a decade.
Rasa and the team use a sputtering process to produce microfoils as thin as 0.01µm. Sputtering is a form of Physical Vapour Disposition that involves removing particles of a target material through high-energy particle bombardment. The particles are then deposited onto a permanent substrate to create a thin metal film. Goodfellow’s ultrathin foils use either a 3.5µm or 0.5µm Mylar® substrate as standard, however customisation is available upon request.
Goodfellow's in-house manufacturing team are skilled in a wide variety of processes, including sputtering, electroplating, and product modifications.
Goodfellow supplies every specialist material you'll ever need, delivered anywhere in the world. For more on Goodfellow's offering, click here.