Substrate (materials science)

In materials science, the substrate is the material to be treated. Usually the surface of the substrate is finished or coated .

Examples

In printing technology, the substrate is the material to be printed, the printing material . In semiconductor technology, the wafer , which in the electronics industry is the starting material for chip production in large series, is also called the substrate.

In the area of PVD coatings, the material on which the thin layer is deposited is the substrate. The material properties, but especially the surface of the substrate, are of great importance for the quality (e.g. adhesion) of the layer. The substrate is often a steel alloy (e.g. tool steel for cutting tools ) or titanium (e.g. for implants ). For some time now , ceramics and polymer plastics have also been coated.

Two meanings in the production and processing of substrate colors

Substrate paints are not so named because they should be applied to a substrate like all paints, but instead contain, in addition to other components, a more or less colorless pigment , for example chalk, which is also called a substrate. This substrate is firmly bonded to a color pigment during color production. So a substance is treated during production and a material during processing.