Spin coating is used for many applications where relatively flat substrates or objects are coated with thin layers of material. The material to be made into the coating must be dissolved or dispersed into a solvent of some kind and this coating solution is then deposited onto the surface and spun-off to leave a uniform layer for subsequent processing stages and ultimate use.

Some technologies that depend heavily on high quality spin coated layers are:

• Photoresist for defining patterns in microcircuit fabrication.
• Dielectric/insulating layers for microcircuit fabrication – polymers, SOG, SiLK, etc.
• Magnetic disk coatings - magnetic particle suspensions, head lubricants, etc.
• Flat screen display coatings. - Antireflection coatings, conductive oxide, etc.
• Compact Disks – DVD, CD ROM, etc.
• Television tube phosphor and antireflection coatings.

Major revisions installed in July 2000
Updated in October 1998 and December 1999.
Page started 1 May 1998
(c) 1998,1999,2000, D. P. Birnie, III