scia Systems Supplies an Advanced Cluster System to the fem Research Institute

The scia Cluster 200 promises a breakthrough in the development of materials and coating technologies for fuel cell, electrolysis, and battery electrodes.

Chemnitz, Germany, Oct. 14, 2025 – scia Systems GmbH, the industry leader in advanced ion beam and plasma process equipment for microelectronics, MEMS, and precision optics industries, today announced the delivery of a highly advanced cluster system to the fem Research Institute in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The system, a scia Cluster 200, will support the development of innovative coatings for fuel cells, electrolysis, and battery electrodes as part of the flagship project “H2-Wandel”.

Highly Flexible and Scalable Ion Beam and Plasma Processing for R&D and Production

The scia Cluster 200 is a modular platform for thin-film vacuum processes. Up to five identical or different process technologies can be installed on a central loading unit for coating, etching, or cleaning substrates up to 200 mm. The system is used in industrial environments for the semiconductor and precision optics industries as well as in research and development, and can be customized to meet specific customer applications.

The cluster platforms from scia Systems are available as single-process systems, in which up to five identical process chambers and one or more load locks are connected to a central transfer chamber. This configuration significantly increases throughput while reducing costs and footprint compared to single-chamber systems. It is therefore mainly used in production environments.

Multi-process clusters are used for multi-step processing, which is typically found in research and development. In these systems, various coating, etching, and cleaning steps are performed sequentially in the same cluster without interrupting the vacuum. This significantly reduces the overall process time. Contamination and oxidation are avoided and the surface quality is maintained. The modular design of the system allows chambers to be exchanged or retrofitted later for customized configurations. This ensures long-term investment security right from the start.

Integrated Pre-cleaning, Sputtering, and (PE)ALD in One System

To expand the high-quality research infrastructure at fem, scia Systems is equipping the institute with an expandable cluster system for manufacturing fuel cells, electrolysis, and battery electrodes on 200 mm substrates. In addition to a load lock and a transfer chamber equipped with a robotic handler and a glovebox, the scia Cluster 200 consists of three process chambers, for pretreatment, sputtering, and coating. 

The pre-cleaning process is based on the scia Etch 200 module, which uses plasma etching to clean the substrate surface before coating. High-precision coating of the substrates with metals or metal oxides/nitrides is achieved by magnetron sputtering (PVD) and/or plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD). The sputtering module is based on the scia Magna 200. The ALD process chamber is based on the scia Atol 200 system. 

“We are excited that fem is relying on scia Systems for the development of its innovative electrodes. With our scia Cluster 200, the institute is getting an efficient process solution for a wide range of coating tasks and is thus perfectly prepared to drive development forward in this promising field,” says Michael Zeuner, Managing Director of scia Systems GmbH. 

For more information on the scia Cluster 200, visit: www.scia-systems.com/scia-cluster-200

About scia Systems GmbH

Founded in 2013, scia Systems is a technology leader in thin-film process equipment based on advanced ion beam and plasma technologies. The systems are used for coating, etching, and cleaning processes with nanometer resolution and have been successfully implemented in various high-tech industries worldwide, including microelectronics, MEMS, and precision optics industries. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.scia-systems.com.

Company Contact

Mandy Gebhardt
Head of Marketing
scia Systems GmbH
Tel: +49 371 33561 322
E-Mail: m.gebhardt@scia-systems.com