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Overview

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Charon is an automated blade-coating platform designed for the controlled deposition and in-situ characterization of thin films and functional materials.

The system combines substrate temperature control, vacuum fixation, automated blade motion, controlled liquid dispensing, and air-assisted drying within a compact platform suitable for installation inside a glovebox.

All components are controlled from a single software interface, allowing the user to operate the system manually, monitor the deposition process in real time, or execute fully customized deposition recipes.

System Overview

A typical Charon configuration consists of:

  • Heated vacuum stage — supports the substrate, controls its temperature, and uses vacuum to keep it fixed during deposition.
  • Motorized blade coater — moves the coating blade over the substrate with controlled position and speed.
  • Syringe pump — dispenses the deposition solution at a defined flow rate.
  • Air blade — provides a controlled air flow over the deposited film to assist drying.
  • Control software — provides real-time monitoring, manual control, and automated recipe execution.

Depending on the system configuration, additional accessories can be integrated for in-situ monitoring and characterization, including:

  • Scientific camera
  • Spectrometer / spectroradiometer
  • Light source for in-situ photoluminescence measurements

Modular configuration

Not every Charon installation contains all of the optional accessories described in this manual. The available software pages depend on the hardware installed on the system.

Charon Software

The following video shows the Charon camera system during operation:

The Charon software provides a single interface for controlling and monitoring the complete deposition system.

The navigation bar at the top of the software gives direct access to the different hardware modules:

Module Function
Main Real-time overview of the complete system
Coater Manual control of blade position, movement, and coating speed
Syringe Syringe pump configuration and liquid dispensing
Spectrometer Spectral acquisition and in-situ monitoring
Light Control of the installed illumination source
Vacuum Stage Substrate temperature and vacuum-stage monitoring
Camera Scientific camera configuration and acquisition
Recipe Creation, loading, saving, and execution of automated processes

The exact modules available may depend on the Charon configuration.