Atomic Layer Deposition‐Coated Glass Vials Fulfilling Pharmacopoeia Criteria for Light Transmissibility for Photosensitive Pharmaceuticals

Abstract Modern drugs such as biologic therapeutics set more demanding requirements for their corresponding primary packages. The more than centuries old solution has been to darken the glass via incorporation of heavy metals (Ti, Fe, and Mn) in its glass matrix. These metals create an additional risk as leachables and adversely interfere with visual inspection of the content for quality and particulates. Here, a novel approach is presented for creating a tunable barrier against specific wavelengths of light. Distributed Bragg reflectors made of TiO 2 and SiO 2 are deposited on standard Type I borosilicate glass vials with atomic layer deposition (ALD). Both the process conditions and structures are optimized to fulfil the pharmacopoeia criteria for colored glass, that is, at its strictest, <10% transmission between the wavelengths of 290 and 450 nm. Under automated visual inspection (AVI), this structure enabled detection rates of 100% for particulates, equivalent to that of standard clear vials and significantly better than its amber counterpart.