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Method
The SILAR method was first recorded as being used in 1985 in a laboratory environment, with the name SILAR first used in scientific journals of the same year, according to the Indian Academy of Sciences. The thin film production method known as SILAR requires the film to be immersed in the chemicals required for creating a chemical solution over the substrate. Between each immersion of the film into the chemicals, the film is rinsed using purified water to create the desired coating over the film.
Materials
One of the advantages of the SILAR method of coating thin films is the number of different materials that can be used to create a film for a desired application. Materials that can be used in the method include temperature sensitive substrates, such as polyester because the SILAR method is completed at or close to room temperature, meaning damage is not caused from extreme temperatures of other thin film methods. Materials such as semiconductors that can be damaged in other methods can be created in the SILAR method of thin film production.
Production
The SILAR method is used to create coatings on thin films for technological products such as photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into energy for use in solar power applications. By allowing thin films to be coated in different chemicals at or close to room temperature, metallic films or films incorporating metallic parts can use the SILAR method and avoid possible problems with damage caused by oxidation or corrosion, the Indian Academy of Sciences reports. Other methods of thin film deposition use the transfer of atoms to provide a coating over thin films. The SILAR method uses the transfer of ions that provides better coverage of chemicals over the film, and can result in a finer grain structure than other deposition methods.
Advantages
The main advantages of the SILAR deposition method include the ease of completing the method and the relative low cost. For small amounts of substrates to be treated using the SILAR method, the process can be completed using glass beakers. The Indian Academy of Sciences states the SILAR method does not require the high quality materials used in other deposition processes, such as closed vapor deposition. The ease of application allows the thickness of thin films created using the SILAR method to be controlled more easily than in other applications.