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Projects / Programmes source: ARIS

TankThin-film structures and plasma surface engineering

Periods
Research activity

Code Science Field Subfield
2.09.00  Engineering sciences and technologies  Electronic components and technologies   
2.04.00  Engineering sciences and technologies  Materials science and technology   

Code Science Field
T155  Technological sciences  Coatings and surface treatment 

Code Science Field
2.05  Engineering and Technology  Materials engineering 
Keywords
surfaces, thin-film structures, hard coatings, quasicrystals, plasma, plasma characterization, catalytic probes, composites, polymers, interfaces, diffusion, AES depth profiling, XPS
Evaluation (rules)
source: COBISS
Researchers (26)
no. Code Name and surname Research area Role Period No. of publicationsNo. of publications
1.  22289  PhD Uroš Cvelbar  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2009 - 2014  730 
2.  18271  PhD Miha Čekada  Materials science and technology  Researcher  2009 - 2014  441 
3.  26476  PhD Aleksander Drenik  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2009 - 2014  695 
4.  35463  PhD Aljaž Drnovšek  Materials science and technology  Junior researcher  2012 - 2014  97 
5.  29520  PhD Kristina Eleršič Filipič  Biochemistry and molecular biology  Researcher  2009 - 2013  96 
6.  33330  PhD Gregor Filipič  Electronic components and technologies  Junior researcher  2010 - 2014  129 
7.  15601  Jožko Fišer    Technical associate  2009 - 2014  12 
8.  33428  PhD Peter Gselman  Biotechnology  Junior researcher  2010 - 2014  73 
9.  37471  PhD Nataša Hojnik  Electronic components and technologies  Junior researcher  2014  62 
10.  34439  PhD Gregor Jakša  Electronic components and technologies  Junior researcher  2011 - 2014  37 
11.  28480  PhD Ita Junkar  Medical sciences  Researcher  2009 - 2014  288 
12.  12616  PhD Darinka Kek Merl  Materials science and technology  Researcher  2009 - 2014  129 
13.  15703  PhD Janez Kovač  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2009 - 2014  673 
14.  15602  Damjan Matelič    Technical associate  2009 - 2014 
15.  32159  PhD Martina Modic  Medical sciences  Researcher  2009 - 2014  165 
16.  10429  PhD Miran Mozetič  Electronic components and technologies  Head  2009 - 2014  1,353 
17.  26463  PhD Matjaž Panjan  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2011 - 2014  223 
18.  09090  PhD Peter Panjan  Materials science and technology  Researcher  2009 - 2014  792 
19.  29536  PhD Srečko Paskvale  Materials science and technology  Beginner researcher  2013 - 2014  47 
20.  33326  PhD Gregor Primc  Electronic components and technologies  Junior researcher  2010 - 2013  265 
21.  34451  PhD Nina Recek  Biotechnology  Junior researcher  2011 - 2014  85 
22.  37482  PhD Matic Resnik  Electronic components and technologies  Junior researcher  2014  52 
23.  17622  Janez Trtnik    Technical associate  2009 - 2014  18 
24.  20048  PhD Alenka Vesel  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2009 - 2014  689 
25.  01741  PhD Anton Zalar  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2009  383 
26.  31618  PhD Rok Zaplotnik  Electronic components and technologies  Researcher  2012 - 2014  305 
Organisations (1)
no. Code Research organisation City Registration number No. of publicationsNo. of publications
1.  0106  Jožef Stefan Institute  Ljubljana  5051606000  90,742 
Abstract
Advanced thin-film structures, composite materials and plasma treated surfaces are based on progress in thin-films and surface science. Reactive oxygen plasmas will be studied by optical spectrometry and catalytic probes in order to understand interaction of plasma radicals with solid surfaces of polymers and composities. Oxygen plasmas wil be applied to advanced technological processing including selective plasma etching, discharge cleaning, cold ashing, and plasma sterilization. The physical and tribological properties of new generation of surface coatings (nanocomposite, multilayer/superlattice, carbon and metal containing carbon coatings)for wear protection and friction reduction will be studied. The application of such coatings for protection of tools for dry, hard and hot working machining as well as for machining of composites will be tested. The plasma processes during deposition of hard coatings will be studied by mass and energy-resolved spectroscopy. Plasma surface engineering will be applied to replace to conventional electrochemical deposition techniques which are ecological unacceptable. Plasma vapour deposition processes will be used also for deposition of quasicrystal thin films and electrolyte thin films for solid oxide fuel cells. The accurate characterization of surfaces, interfaces and depth profiles will be achieved by high resolution AES depth profilng using two ion beams and/or sample rotation technique, low ion beam energy and grazing ion incidence angle. The composition, crystalline structure and surface topography of plasma treated surfaces and thi-film structures will be investigated by relevant methods such as AES, XPS, SPEM, SEM, TEM, XRD, EXAFS and AFM. The results of the program are in particular foreseen to find their use in the fields of surface and plasma science, coatings technology and surface engineering.
Significance for science
The team is a world leading group in the scientific niche of extremely non-equilibrium states of reactive gases. It has established a reliable experimental procedure for measuring the coefficients of heterogeneous surface recombination of neutral radicals. It is one of very few groups worldwide capable of tailoring dissociation fractions of gaseous molecules in non-equilibrium plasma independently from discharge parameters. This allows for studying the roles different types of plasma species play in interaction between gaseous plasma and solid materials, as well as synergistic effects. The group has invented a novel technique for reliable, space and time resolved measurements of neutral radical densities in non-equilibrium gaseous plasma suitable for tailoring surface properties of solid materials, especially nanostructured materials and those applied in biomedicine. Such an approach allows for optimization of surface functionalization of polymer materials since neutral reactive particles often cause richer functionalization with selected functional groups than application of gaseous plasma what is a standard approach. Proper selection of treatment parameters also allows for independent control of surface functionalities and development of polymer roughness on sub-micrometer and nanometer scale. The group is well equipped with techniques for surface and thin film characterization and apart standard measurements it has been using also derivatization techniques in order to be able to detect minute quantities of specific surface functional groups. Excellent surface properties of treated polymers allow for improved biocompatibility of body implants and scaffolds.
Significance for the country
The team has established fruitful collaboration with industry. Over 100 Slovenian industrial partners benefit from research performed by team members. In particular, the following types of collaboration have been established: - Consulting. This type of services does not appear in researchers’ bibliography but is extremely important for industry. The team members are always ready to help industry solve technological problems. Education of staff from industry is also performed formally through organization of technical training courses as well as lecturing at International postgraduate school in Ljubljana where 5 team members serve as professors. - Development of technologies. This activity is often partially funded by national or international agencies. The research team is capable of performing all steps from basic research and industrial research to validation of prototypes and occasionally even construction of suitable production lines. Innovative technologies are usually protected with appropriate patents. The key achievement is massive production of commutators at Slovenia based Multinational company Kolektor Group, which has reached over 70% of market share in the niche of components for gasoline pumps. - Services. Over 100 Slovenian companies benefit from the services provided by our Centre of Hard Coatings. Different types of coatings are developed according to specific requirements of industrial partners and small scale deposition on commercial bases is then performed using industrial size reactors for plasma assisted physical or chemical vapour deposition. - Optimization of production. Industrial plasma reactors often lack appropriate techniques for real time monitoring of processing parameters. The team members often provide techniques for characterization of key plasma parameters and suggest modification of processing parameters for better efficiency. - Routine characterization of industrial samples. The team members provide services for numerous industrial partners, especially surface and thin film characterization.
Audiovisual sources (1)
no. Title (with video link) Event Source
1. TankThin-film structures and plasma surface engineering  Promotional video of research programme on Videolectures  Research programme video presentation 
Most important scientific results Annual report 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, final report, complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results Annual report 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, final report, complete report on dLib.si
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