V O L . X X I N O. X I
J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 5 14
T
he word "sputtering" may evoke images of a car
engine choking before it fails, but in the high-tech
world of advanced coatings, it's a high-speed, high-
volume process where superfast ions hit a metal target
and dislodge miniscule particles that in turn coat a thin
fi lm over cutting-edge products like architectural glass,
large-screen televisions and computer displays.
Soleras Advanced Coatings, based in Biddeford,
is a big international player in that high-tech mar-
ket, making components such as sputtering targets
that aren't visible in the fi nal products, but are nec-
essary to making them.
It's a niche market — and an esoteric one at that
— but it is growing quickly. e market for sputtering
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Call Steve at 207-846-9050
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NO RESERVATIONS.
WATERFRONT DINING
AT SUNSET.
SPUTTERING
AHEAD
Soleras Advanced Coatings focuses
on high-tech glass makers
B y L o r i V a l i g r a
Soleras Advanced Coatings
589 Elm St., Biddeford
CEO: Jeffrey Edel
Founded: 2012
Products: Sputtering equipment, components
for thin-film coatings
Global sales (2014): Less than $100 million
Employees worldwide: 200 (50 in United States,
mostly in Maine)
Contact: 282-5699 / www.soleras.com
P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY
Fred Weber cleans a mold in preparation to cast a sputtering target at Soleras Advanced Coatings in Biddeford.
