Crime-fighting Coatings

Police forces may soon have a new way to cut costs on crime-fighting tools with a new coating that in initial tests has shown it extends the life of fingerprint recognition scanners.

Morgan Technical Cermamic’s Diamonex Products division is working with fingerprint scanner experts to optimize its diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on fingerprint recognition devices. The tests show that the coating can extend the life of the device without compromising the precision of the sensitive optics it is protecting. As a result, Morgan says manufacturers will be able to offer products with greater reliability and significantly longer life.

Already widely used in medical, aerospace and automotive applications, and in retail scanners for over 15 years, the DLC coating is an amorphous carbon material that displays some of the unique properties of diamond. By applying it as a coating, the hardness, wear resistance and hydrophobic properties of the material can be passed on to different surfaces. The coating also has a slick, smooth feel, which reduces friction and repels dirt.

Traditionally, the fingerprint scanning areas of the devices have been constructed of relatively fragile silicon metal or plastic, making them susceptible to scratches and damage from other environmental elements. This, in addition to the build up of finger print oils on the surface, often results in decreased precision and can lead to unit failure.

“Secure access biometric applications are becoming increasingly common and fingerprint recognition is a popular and, in most cases, cost effective solution,” explains Richard Hobbs, general manager Morgan Technical Ceramics Diamonex business. “The technology is becoming more pervasive, and penetrating a number of applications where damage to the sensor devices is a significant issue. Therefore the need for a robust coating to protect the devices from wear and tear and environmental abuse is growing.”

The Diamonex DLC coating process produces a dense conformal finish with excellent adhesion. The DLC coating is typically a dielectric (non-conducting) layer, which means it can be built into the device structure as an active part of capacitance fingerprint sensors.

For particular applications, the electrical properties of the Diamonex DLC coating can also be modified; for example, to provide a level of static charge dissipation.

MTC Diamonex offers its DLC coating technology as a service coating option to customers that can ship their products to the Allentown, PA facility.  Alternatively, the company also offers complete DLC coating systems for sale, developed to meet specific customer needs, and backed by expert installation, training, and service staff. In either approach, MTC Diamonex application and development engineers work with customers to develop or fine-tune the DLC coatings to deliver superior product performance

www.morgantechnicalceramics.com