Mike Simmons to Present at TechCon 2026
SVC 2026: Intellivation Abstract TCO
Process Improvements for Large Area Deposition of TCO Thin Films on Flexible Substrates using Roll-to-Roll Technology
Mike Simmons, Dr. Mark George, Intellivation LLC
Depositing transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) on flexible substrates using roll-to-roll
(R2R) technology enables large-scale manufacturing of thin-film photovoltaics, flexible
electronics, and opto-electronic sensors. Achieving low bulk resistivity in these films
remains challenging because many flexible substrates cannot be heated to the high
temperatures (e.g., >200 C) commonly used for rigid substrates in sheet-to-sheet (S2S)
coaters. This presentation describes the effects of varying sputter gas composition and
sputter frequency to improve TCO bulk resistivity. Complex design-of-experiments
(DOEs) can be executed rapidly using advanced HMI and controls combined with in-situ
metrology. Results and their relevance to ITO transparent-coating applications will be
discussed.
Intellivation Promotes Nick Haase to Engineering Manager
Loveland, CO — In this role, Haase leads Intellivation’s mechanical, electrical and controls engineering teams, supporting the development and delivery of high‑performance vacuum web coating systems. Since joining the company in 2023, he has rapidly expanded his vacuum-technology expertise while helping translate complex requirements into clear design direction and strong day‑to‑day execution across the team.
“Nick has earned the trust of the team and our customers through consistent leadership and a strong ability to turn challenging requirements into practical, production‑ready solutions,” said Mike Simmons, President & CEO of Intellivation. “His growth has been impressive, and we’re excited to see him continue elevating our engineering organization in this new role.”
Haase holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. Based in Colorado, he enjoys outdoor activities, photography, music, and football.
About Intellivation
Intellivation designs and delivers advanced vacuum web coating systems and related solutions that help customers accelerate development and achieve reliable production results. Intellivation provides OEM state of the art roll-to -roll and custom solutions for depositing functional coatings on flexible substrates. The Application Lab at Intellivation offers the ability to do process and product development for complex and novel applications requiring materials for lightweight, flexible applications in a wide range of industries.
R2R Platform for Deposition of Active and Passive Thin Films and Patterning for Flexible Electronic Sensors and Devices
Intellivation will be participating in TechBlick 2026 in Mountainview, CA in June. In addition to exhibiting, Dr. Mark George will be presenting R2R Platform for Deposition of Active and Passive Thin Films and Patterning for Flexible Electronic Sensors and Devices
Mark George, Mike Simmons, Liz Josephson, Intellivation LLC
High throughput/low-cost manufacturing methods for flexible electronic devices is a key enabler for market adoption. R2R (Roll-to-Roll) sputtered thin films provide rapid product development cycles and manufacturing scalability. Sputtering provides high throughput, high quality thin films of metals, dielectrics, transparent conductors and semiconductors. In conjunction with in-line subtractive patterning techniques, a variety of sensors and circuits can be produced. Laser ablation of thin films and multi-layers provides rapid product development without requiring mask fabrication, lithography, or other costs and labor-intensive steps. A wide variety of materials can be laser ablated or patterned without damage to the underlying substrate surface including flexible glass, polyimide, PEN, PET or other substrates. Laser ablation of multilayers highlights combining these technologies. Deposition and patterning of metallic interconnects and/or semiconducting precursors and their transformation to a semiconducting state by laser annealing allows for manufacturing of fully functional devices.
Plasma Surface Treatment for R2R Vacuum Coated Thin Films
By Dr. Mark George
Adhesion is a key element of a high-performance thin film coating. While there are some substrate and coating material sets which provide satisfactory adhesion without any specialized treatment of the substrate prior to deposition, in most cases adhesion performance is improved by in-situ treatment immediately prior to vacuum deposition. There are several mechanisms by which this occurs, as we will describe in further detail. The goal is to increase the surface energy of the substrate to improve adhesion of the coating. Various applications have different thresholds for adhesion performance, and some coatings are more vulnerable to adhesion failure, such as thick multi-layer coatings which may have significant levels of stress in the coating stack. Other benefits of in-situ substrate plasma treatment include fully curing or reacting polymers which may be uncured on the surface of the substrate, and to drive water vapor out of the surface layer of the substrate.
Vacuum deposited thin film adhesion is inherently related to the surface condition of the substrate. Rolls of polymer films often arrive on cores that may have been stored for weeks or months after manufacturing before being loaded into a vacuum roll coater. Warehouse conditions of varying humidity, temperature and contamination impact the surface of the polymer which is no longer the same as it was when it first came off the manufacturing line. Preparing this surface to a controlled state using in-situ plasma treatment is required to optimize thin film coating product quality and consistency. Plasma treatment will prepare the surface for improved adhesion by removing contaminants and/or increasing surface energy. Plasma treatment removes unwanted contaminants from the polymer surface and creates bond scissions on the surface that provide sites for bonding to the first layer of the vacuum deposited thin films.
The combination of plasma energy, line speed and gas composition are bundled into a parameter known as the dose. The film adhesion and surface energy are a function of the dose applied to the surface. Figure 1 provides a general graphical representation of the relationship between adhesion and surface energy. The black curve represents a quantitative film adhesion score as commonly used in an ASTM D3359-23 100 cell X-Hatch test; it is represented on a scale of 0 to 5. The yellow line represents the surface energy of the treated surface in dynes/cm.
The film adhesion and surface energy curves are divided up into three zones. Zone A represents under treatment with the surface energy still increasing and the film adhesion not optimal. This is a result of minimal bond scission and/or surface contaminants not fully removed.
Zone B represents an area where contaminants are removed, and bond scission density is high enough that the first deposited layer meets adhesion requirements for the product.
Zone C represents when the surface has been over-treated, the film adhesion begins to drop and the surface energy plateaus. This area represents damage to the substrate that weakens the substrate to the point when film adhesion is stronger than the cohesive strength of the substrate itself.
Plasma surface treatment of substrates in R2R Vacuum coaters is the preferred method of treating a surface for vacuum deposited thin films on flexible materials. Plasma surface treatment is suitable for a variety of materials including, but not limited to, PET, PEN, Polyimide, Flexible Glass and metal foils. Intellivation systems are all manufactured with plasma pre-treatment hardware to enable production of high quality, well-adhered thin film coatings for both production and development.
1. Adhesion requirement for vacuum thin films
2. Surface Energy vs Treatment Dose
a. Surface Energy in Dynes/cm
3. O2 vs Argon vs other chemistries
4. Plastic Substrate
a. Breaking bonds vs damaging substrate.
5. Metallic Substrates
a. Removal of Oil and processing chemicals
6. Glass substrates
Intellivation sponsors & attends the 2026 NCCAVS in Fremont
We are proud to sponsor the 2026 AVS Northern California Chapter event on February 26 at the Fremont Marriott. We’ll be exhibiting and discussing new opportunities for applying Intellivation’s technology to vacuum coating solutions for flexible substrates. Stop by our tabletop exhibit and catch our short presentation—we look forward to seeing you.
Dr. Mark George joins the Intellivation Team as Vice President of Applications
Intellivation is pleased to announce that Dr. Mark George has joined the team as Vice President of Applications and Manager of our Application Lab. With more than 25 years of specialized experience in thin‑film deposition, surface engineering, metrology, and advanced materials processing, Dr. George brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in process development and equipment solutions. He brings deep technical expertise, strong customer‑facing insight, and a proven track record in delivering innovative solutions across optoelectronic, solar, flexible‑electronics, and advanced‑coatings markets.
“Mark brings in-depth knowledge in process and product development for flexible vacuum coating solutions enhancing our ability to deliver complex and production ready solutions for our customers”, says Mike Simmons, President & CEO.
“From Intellivation’s earliest days, Mark has been a key supporter—one of the first customers to adopt our production roll‑to‑roll vacuum systems— and his insight continues to elevate our capabilities.
Mark’s extensive experience, paired with his hands‑on, practical approach, will play an important role in driving innovation and meeting the growing demand for lightweight, high‑performance functional coatings.
We see the benefits Mark provides in our novel in-situ metrology systems and in complex multi-layer vacuum coatings for new and expanding applications. We are very pleased to have Mark on our team.”
At Intellivation, Mark oversees all Application Lab operations, ensuring world‑class process development, equipment capability demonstrations, customer application work, and technical troubleshooting. Mark’s technical background spans process control, thin‑film equipment design, in‑situ monitoring, and advanced troubleshooting of PVD, PECVD, LPCVD, evaporation, and related vacuum deposition technologies. Throughout his career, he has driven development efforts in complex multilayer optical coatings, advanced thin‑film processes, substrate pretreatment and surface‑conditioning technologies. He also brings experience in high‑yield manufacturing for production including reactive sputtering process optimization.
10th Anniversary for Eric Rouch
Dedication, commitment, and an exceptional work ethic only begin to describe our Manufacturing Manager. We are so grateful to be celebrating Eric Rouch’s 10th anniversary with Intellivation. His meticulous attention to detail and unwavering drive to deliver world class result for our customers has been instrumental in our success. We are thrilled to honor this incredible milestone with him.
Adrian Jimenez 1 Year Anniversary
We are happy to be celebrating Adrian’s anniversary with Intellivation. “Reaching my one-year mark at Intellivation has been an incredible journey of growth and learning. Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several projects from start to finish, designing 3D models and assemblies, running FEA, creating detailed drawings, ordering parts, and coordinating with our machine shop. Balancing full-time school and work has taught me the importance of communication, organization, and meeting deadlines. The most rewarding part has been seeing something I helped design from scratch, come to life. I’m very grateful for the trust, mentorship, and opportunities I’ve received, and I’m excited to continue growing and contributing to such an innovative team.”
We look forward to having Adrian continue to contribute to the team and are excited to see what his future brings.
Intellivation to Present & Exhibit at TechBlick Perovskite Connect
Liz Josephson will be presenting at TechBlick on Oct 22-23 in Berlin.
Flexible Roll-to-Roll Platform Providing Lightweight Sputtered Coatings Including Environmental Barrier and Transparent Conductors for Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing
By: Liz Josephson, Mike Simmons, Dr. Robert Malay, Intellivation LLC
A key obstacle to the commercial success of flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the long-term stability of the perovskite layer. This layer is vulnerable to several degradation mechanisms, such as moisture, oxygen, and UV-catalyzed reactions which make barrier films essential for boosting reliability, lifetime, and overall performance of these devices. Barrier films act as protective layers, shielding the sensitive components of PV devices from environmental factors, while allowing for increased incident light transmission in the photoactive regime. Another key layer in perovskite solar cells is the current collector, which is often a sputtered transparent conductive metal oxide layer. The current collector should maximize light transmission and minimize sheet resistance for maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE). Lightweight polymer films such as PET, combined with sputtered thin film coatings, can offer excellent environmental barrier and current collector properties while preserving necessary optical effects that can elevate the PCE. Utilizing Roll-to-Roll manufacturing processes for these films also further reduces production costs and facilitates scalability. By reducing the impact of environmental stressors, barrier films play a vital role in protecting flexible PSCs, enabling more reliable, sustainable solar energy solutions and broader market adoption of perovskite technology.
- Can your roll-to-roll vacuum deposition system seamlessly pivot from flexible glass to nonwoven fabrics without catastrophic web tension or thermal failure?
- Intellivation Promotes Nick Haase to Engineering Manager
- Plasma Surface Treatment for R2R Vacuum Coated Thin Films
- Aug 2025 PFFC Magazine Article on How Vacuum Web Coating Ensures Precision, Quality Coatings
- Converting Quarterly Article: Process development and validation of complex multilayer dielectric thin films on an R2R vacuum coater
- Advancements in Laser Patterning of Sputtered Coatings for High-Volume Production of Flexible Microelectronic Devices
- Can your roll-to-roll vacuum deposition system seamlessly pivot from flexible glass to nonwoven fabrics without catastrophic web tension or thermal failure?
- Mike Simmons to Present at TechCon 2026
- Intellivation Promotes Nick Haase to Engineering Manager
- R2R Platform for Deposition of Active and Passive Thin Films and Patterning for Flexible Electronic Sensors and Devices
- Plasma Surface Treatment for R2R Vacuum Coated Thin Films
- Intellivation sponsors & attends the 2026 NCCAVS in Fremont
- Dr. Mark George joins the Intellivation Team as Vice President of Applications
