Working With a Carbon Coater

I do not have experience with every type of carbon coater but some work I carried out with Edwards High Vacuum company many many years ago may explain the situation?

We experimented with vacuum level and its relationship to carbon film quality when examined in a TEM.  Very simply the better the vacuum the better the coating.  We used carbon rods and carbon string and in both cases it was the vacuum that was critical, not the type of coater.

I am sure some of the regular vacuum experts will back this finding?

Whilst on the subject the greatest problem that people face when evaporating carbon is the rod type.  Even purchasing from you original supplier you may not receive exactly the type of rod you purchased several years earlier. This means you will need to calibrate the system all over again in order to optimise evaporation.  My tip is if you have a system working well, with a recently purchased rod package, immediately order some more!  It is the experience of many of my customers that waiting years for your current supply to be used up almost certainly means starting all over again with
your new supply!