Spin Coater
Produce high-quality spin coatings without any substrate warping
Vacuum-free, compact, and low-price spin coater - perfect for labs with limited space
Part of the Institute of Physics award-winning Ossila Solar Cell Prototyping Platform, the vacuum-free Ossila Spin Coater is the ideal spin coating system for busy, fast-paced labs where space is at a premium. The machine itself is both robust and affordable, allowing everyone to implement spin coating in their research. With free worldwide shipping as standard and our two-year warranty included at no extra cost, the Ossila Spin Coater is trusted by academics and researchers around the world.
Designed to dramatically improve the quality of thin film which can be achieved with spin coating, while also eliminating the service requirements necessary with vacuum pumps and nitrogen lines, the Ossila Spin Coater is able to produce uniform coatings with zero substrate warping. The reduced need for servicing keeps running costs to a minimum and the straight-forward operation of the device makes spin coating quick and easy, without compromising on functionality.
As it comes pre-loaded with onboard control software and does not require a vacuum pump or nitrogen line, the Ossila Spin Coater is a true plug-and-play device. Combined with its compact size, not only does it take up very little space on the bench compared to other spin coaters, but it can also be used in a glove box with ease should an inert atmosphere be required.
The spin coater is priced at just £1900.00, and comes with one FREE spin coater chuck. For controllable, automated dispensing of solvents, the Ossila Spin Coater is also available with the Ossila Syringe Pump at a discounted price as part of the Spin Coater and Syringe Pump Bundle.
Spin coating is a widely used and versatile technique for depositing materials onto substrates with accurate and controllable film thicknesses. Spin coating uses the centripetal force and surface tension of the solution to create an even film, making it quicker than other thin film coating methods. This makes it ideal for batch processing in both research and industrial settings. Spin coating is often used as the starting point and reference for many thin-film processes, even if they will eventually get mass-produced using printing-based techniques.
A spin coating cycle consists of four key stages: disposition, spin up, spin off, and evaporation. First, a solution is cast onto the substrate using either a pipette or a syringe pump. Then, the solution is pushed outwards by the centripetal force so that it covers the surface of the substrate. At this point, most of the excess ink is expelled to the side and airflow begins to dry the film. Finally, in the last stage, the solvent evaporates to leave a thin, uniform film behind.
Spin Coater Features
Large range of speeds
Spin speeds range from 120 to 6000 rpm, covering a range of different spin coating conditions - from slow dry crystallisation, to ultra-thin films.
Easy to install
With no vacuum or nitrogen line to connect, simply plug the spin coater into a power socket to get started on your research.
Space-saving design
With a base footprint of only 22.5 x 17cm, there is always space to fit an Ossila Spin Coater in your lab. Whether you need to remove it from your fume hood daily or store it in your glovebox, it is small enough to meet your needs.
Full control
The inbuilt control system allows you to have a maximum of 10 separate user profiles - with each profile capable of saving 10 recipes with up to 50 steps. All this makes our spin coater perfect for anyone that has to share equipment in a busy lab.
Fewer variables, better films
The inbuilt spirit level and adjustable feet ensure a flat spinning axis, and the vacuum-free chuck prevents warping in thin substrates. Both factors lead to better uniformity in films - and better device performance.
Lab-proof
The robust steel casing, toughened glass lid, and solvent-safe polypropylene insert and chuck mean that the Ossila Spin Coater is resilient and ready for use in a working laboratory.
Low Maintenance
Spin-coating systems that use vacuums are susceptible to becoming damaged, and have complicated repair procedures. The Ossila Spin Coater has the minimum number of required moving parts, no vacuum, and a 2-year warranty, so your research is unlikely to be disrupted by equipment failure.
Safety First
The spin coater is powered by a 24 V DC power supply, so no high voltage or specialist power with additional requirements is needed. Shielded from solvents and tampering, there is a magnetic safety switch that stops the chuck from spinning when the lid is open.
Ossila Spin Coater Testimonials
We recently purchased an Ossila Spin Coater. Its compact size and vacuum-free system is ideal for our rather over-crowded laboratory, and it has enabled us to prepare a series of high-quality block copolymer thin films. The chucks make it easy to use different substrates and we have programmed several spin cycles, which allows systematic variation of the copolymer film thickness with good reproducibility. The instrument is very easy to clean as the chucks, bowl and glass screen are resistant to a range of solvents.
Professor Steve Armes FRS, Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry, University of Sheffield
Why Go Vacuum-Free?
The majority of spin coaters in the market use vacuum pumps to hold the substrates while they spin. The Ossila Spin Coater, however, instead uses an innovative chuck design that does not require a vacuum. Substrates are held in place by recesses cut into a polypropylene chuck, allowing excess coating material to be drained away.
Thin substrates are likely to be warped inwards by vacuum chucks, affecting coating uniformity. The force of vacuum on the solutions deposited on top of porous substrates such as ceramics also leads to inhomogeneity. This reduces the quality and performance of devices. Our vacuum-free chucks ensure an even film distribution by keeping your substrates flat and free from damage, even if they are flexible substrates.
Vacuum-fed spin coaters can only be set up where a vacuum line is available, and are likely to remain where they are set up, taking up space even when not in use. By not needing a vacuum line, the Ossila Spin Coater can be set up anywhere with a single mains socket. The same Ossila Spin Coater can be used on the benchtop, in a fume hood, and a glove box - all in the same day if needed, thanks to its easy setup and compact size.
Most spin coaters are also burdened by the hidden cost of vacuum pumps that are usually excluded from the full system price. Vacuum pumps are prone to breaking, resulting in expensive repairs and delays. This is mainly caused by excess solvents being sucked into the vacuum line, damaging the internal components. Short-term and long-term costs can be reduced by using the vacuum-free Ossila Spin Coater, which gives you everything you need to start spin coating at the all-inclusive price of £1900.00.
The Ossila Spin Coater comes with a free spin coater chuck from our range of stock chucks. Please select which you would like when placing your order. If you want a custom-milled chuck to fit your own substrate system, please contact us to discuss options. Custom Spin Coater Chucks can be ordered to fit substrates of any shape and additional chucks are always available.
Getting Started with the Ossila Spin Coater
The underpinning physics behind spin coating is relatively simple, as are the equations that govern the resulting film thickness, which is proportional to the inverse of the spin speed squared. The Ossila Spin Coater gives complete control over the spin speed and allows different spin sequences to be programmed.
The exact relationship between spin speed and film thickness depends on the solution being used, and is often worked out empirically, though models such as the Emslie, Bonner, and Peck model and Meyerhofer model attempt to describe the fluid dynamics involved mathematically. See the complete guide to spin coating for more information.
For advanced deposition techniques using spin coating, the timing and solution dispense rate is critical. In these situations the dispensing of solution should switch from a manual process to an automated process. We recommend the use of a programmable syringe pump that allows you to control the rate and volume of the dispensed solution, as well as the start time.
The dual pump model of the Ossila Syringe Pump is able to control the dispensing of two different solutions independently. Like the Ossila Spin Coater, both models of syringe pump come with integrated software controls built into the system for easy computer-free operation.
Use of a syringe pump will allow you to easily perform spin coating tasks such as:
- Solution-processed multilayered structures
- Solvent quenching of deposited films
- Surface modification of films by solvent washing
- Improved wetting of films by pre-coating the surface with a carrier solvent
Enable automated dispensing with the Ossila Syringe Pump
- Controllable Dispense Rates
- Accurate Timing
- Dual Syringes for Two Solutions
- Save when bought as a bundle
Find out more
Resources and Support
As with all our products, we want to make sure that the Ossila Spin Coater is as useful to you as it is to us. We use it in our own R&D labs with a range of organics, inorganics, photoresists, metal oxides and more. We are experienced in spin coating and are happy to share our tips and tricks. Please also refer to the guides and videos below, which provide details on everything from special spin coating requirements for organic electronics and nanotechnology, to dispense techniques, spin cleaning, and more.
For further technical information, our Spin Coater User Manual is available to download. We are also happy to discuss your specific requirements with you; please feel free to contact our technical team.
Device Specifications
| User Profiles | 10 |
| Programs | 10 programs on each user profile, with up to 50 steps each |
| Speed stability | <2% error |
| Speed | 120 to 6000 RPM |
| Spin time | 1 - 1000 sec |
| Power supply | DC 24V 2A, via 100-240v 50/60Hz power adapter |
| Safety Switch | Magnetic safety switch on the door |
| Dimensions | 225 x 170 x 132 mm |
| Materials | Polypropylene bowl, steel casing, tempered glass lid |
Pricing and Options
Free worldwide shipping on all spin coater orders! Bulk discounts available for large orders.
| Bundle | Price |
| Spin Coater only | £1900 - £1950 |
| Spin Coater and Syringe Pump bundle offer* | £3200 |
* Get the Ossila Syringe Pump with your spin coater and save compared to when bought separately. Plus, get a free connection adapter, syringes, PTFE tubing and needles!
| Chuck type | Price |
| 50 mm and 20 mm x 15 mm substrates | £1900 |
| 1 inch x 1 inch square substrates | £1900 |
| Custom | £1950 |
Spin Coater Chuck Specifications
E461 chuck for 20 x 15 x 1 mm substrates and 50 x 50 x 1 mm substrates
Our most popular and flexible spin coater chuck, the E461 two-level chuck offers excellent compatibility across our substrate ranges. For use with custom or alternative substrate sizes, the two-level chuck can also be used with our carrier plates.
E462 chuck for 1 x 1 inch square substrates (25.4 x 25.4 x 1 mm)
The E462 chuck is a single level spin coater chuck for 1 x 1 inch square substrates.
E463 chuck for 76 x 26 x 1 mm microscope slides and 20 x 15 x 1 mm substrates
The E463 two-level spin coater chuck has been designed for use with microscope slides and 20 x 15 x 1 mm substrates.
Custom Chucks
Custom chucks are available at a discounted price with the purchase of a spin coater, but can also be bought separately. Please contact us to discuss your needs. Alternatively, STL and SLDPRT files (for AutoCAD / TurboCAD and SolidWorks respectively) are freely available to download should you wish to create your own chucks.
Customer Chuck Requirements
| Chuck type | Price |
| Maximum diameter of chuck | 85 mm |
| Maximum depth of substrate | 2.5 mm |
| Maximum width of substrate | 55 mm |
Customer Chuck Downloads
- .STL file for AutoCAD and TurboCAD
- .SLDPRT file for SolidWorks
To the best of our knowledge the information provided here is accurate. However, Ossila assume no liability for the accuracy of this page. The values provided are typical at the time of manufacture and may vary over time and from batch to batch. All products are for laboratory and research and development use only, and may not be used for any other purpose including health care, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food or commercial applications.