The Semiconductor is the largest and most long established industry sector using PVD technology. At its inception the sector used evaporative techniques to form the layers, but quickly adopted sputter based solutions due to its inherent controllability. This sector has traditionally used either a 'cluster-tool' or and 'in-line' approach. Both methods are still widely used and they are differentiated simply by whether the wafer is static during coating (cluster tool) or moves past the magnetrons during coating (in-line).

There is a very good examples of a modern in-line approach at Nexx Systems.

Cluster tool solutions are widespead with over 50 commercial offerings on the market. Companies such as Anelva, Applied Materials, Novellus & Veeco to name but a few have all their PVD platforms based upon this concept.