Implementation of ion implantation in European industry

Abstract Commercialization of ion implantation in Europe has progressed more slowly than predicted, but ion implantation niche markets are clearly increasing, especially in the tooling industry. This paper discusses the commercialization of non-semiconductor ion implantation in the European market and in Denmark in particular. The relatively successful commercialization of ion implantation in Denmark is discussed in relation to the situation in Europe, and features generally furthering commercialization of the process are described. The main strategy in Denmark has been not to compete with PVD or other coating techniques in areas in which they perform excellently, but to find niches where ion implantation outperforms other processes both technically and economically. The appropriate design of the implanter facilitates the exploitation of the specific advantages of the ion implantation technique, generating a superior surface treatment method suitable for several important tool niches. Case histories are described, illustrating relevant market niches. The specialist knowledge of atomic or nuclear physicists, although necessary, is not sufficient to commercialize non-semiconductor ion implantation. The physicist must move out of the laboratory to understand the various aspects of the tooling trade, and to acquire the ability to establish and maintain close contacts with industrial customers with sound knowledge of materials, tribology and tooling.