Home > Nanotechnology Columns > NanotechnologyKTN > High Performance Thin-Film Coatings Conference
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Fiona Brewer NanoKTN |
Abstract:
The volume manufacture of today's innovative products is extremely challenging and requires manufacturing processes that are ever more robust and reliable. Many products now require the use of performance and functional films to improve cost reduction and increase service lifetimes, whilst reducing the environmental burden. The integrity of such thin films and coatings is absolutely crucial to ensure the best possible performance characteristics and business sustainability.
On 30th November 2010, the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN) and CEMMNT will be hosting its High Performance Thin-Film Coatings conference, established to highlight and discuss the key issues in surface engineering of high performance thin-film coatings.
November 9th, 2010
High Performance Thin-Film Coatings Conference
The one-day seminar and workshop will evaluate the issues faced by the nanotechnology supply chain that manufacture high performance thin-film coatings.
Through discussions and case study presentations, delegates at the event will be given the opportunity to network and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of potential applications. By discussing challenges and opportunities, the NanoKTN aims to identify gaps in the market where UK companies could invest and become involved.
The event will conclude with an open discussion which will provide an unique opportunity to discuss and air views on the issues that are relevant to the thin film manufacturing community as a whole.
There will be a 50 minute breakout session when delegates will be able to hear and discuss the issues first hand. They will receive short presentations from 2 groups, the Materials KTN and the FP7 Co-Nanomet project. These have recently published reports into surface engineering and thin film metrology respectively and outline what technical and development priorities need to be implements to provide innovation in this field.
If you would like to read the reports before the workshop the please visit the Materials KTN website and the Co-Nanomet website.
Once for armed with this state of art information, there will be series of round table discussions about how the thin film manufacturing community can move forward and outline the challenges ahead. There will then be an opportunity to put these views to an expert panel including the presenters of the report and also the Technology Strategy Board. This gives UK companies a platform in which to express their views.
Finally following this presentation their will be a presentation from Christian Inglis of the Technology Strategy Board who will outline the funding initiatives in this area and how the UK Government is stimulating innovation in a very important field.
Presentations at the meeting include:
ANSIN: How to Leverage from a World Leader
Robert Bowman, Professor of Materials Physics, Queen's University Belfast
Bowman's presentation will act as an introduction and overview of ANSIN, a new advanced materials coating and metrology facility at Queen's University, Belfast. ANSIN was established through the support of founding partner Seagate Technology (Ireland) with a mission to undertake collaborative research between the University and Seagate, acting as a hub to engage in new collaborative and pre-competitive research in advanced materials and coatings.
Bowman will present some recent examples of how the ANSIN facility can provide value and how it can provide a bridge between the capabilities of a University research environment and the needs of advanced coatings manufacturing.
Recent Advances in Metrology for Mechanical Testing of Thin Films
Mark Gee, NPL Fellow, National Physical Laboratory
Mark Gee's presentation will introduce the wide range of test methods now available that can provide detailed information on the properties and likely performance of coatings and engineered surfaces. As well as covering more complex techniques such as nano-indentation and micro-tribology testing, the talk will emphasise test techniques that can be applied simply and provide highly useful information on aspects such as residual stresses, adhesion and coating stiffness.
Thin Films Deposited at Low Temperatures by Plasma Enhanced ALD and CVD Techniques
Robert Gunn, Applications Manager, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology
Low temperature deposition of thin films is becoming increasingly important with a growing range of low thermal budget materials being used in device research. The rapid development and predicted future market for plastic electronics has resulted in a greatly increased focus on thin film depositions below 150ºC.
Robert Gunn's presentation will address the challenges of low temperature deposition in the context of some example applications including; depositing directly onto photo-resist for lift-off, Si3N4 MIM capacitor technology for MMIC and RF-MEMs and Al2O3 moisture permeation barriers for polymer based devices such as flexible OLEDs.
Gunn will focus on two chemical vapour deposition (CVD) techniques ideally suited for low temperature deposition namely; Inductively Coupled Plasma CVD and Remote Plasma Atomic Layer Deposition.
Production of Nanoparticle Coatings for High Performance Structural Applications
Alistair Kean, Technical Director, Mantis Deposition
Market areas such as energy and medicine are becoming increasingly dependent on solutions provided at the nano-scale. These solutions include materials which are engineered using biological, chemical or physical methods. Some applications require a bulk solution such as structural composites or plastics. However there is an ever increasing requirement to add to the functionality of surfaces by adding a material which enhances the performance of the device or system that depends upon that surface. Examples include catalysis, plasmonics, thermodynamics and tribology.
Alistair Kean will look at the potential applications and some of the surface properties which may be affected including porosity, electrochemical (catalysis/electrodes) and electromagnetic (plasmonics).
Kean will describe and analyse processes and present data from specific projects including SOLAMON (www.solamon.eu) an EU FP7 funded project which is examining plasmonic light harvesting to increase the efficiency of thin film photovoltaics.
The Structure, Integrity and Adhesion of Ceramic Coatings using X-ray Tomography and Mechanical Testing
Ian Shapiro, Knowledge Transfer Fellow, School of Materials, University of Manchester
The microstructure and integrity of ceramic coatings is critical when used in the aerospace and nuclear sectors. For instance, thermal barrier coatings must reliably adhere to the metallic components that they protect within gas turbine engines and chemical vapour deposited SiC coatings must also have perfect integrity if they are to contain radioactive material within nuclear fuel particles.
Ian Shapiro will look at the Henry Moseley X-ray imaging facility at the University of Manchester that allows the structure within materials to be probed at scales from nanometres up to many centimetres. Shapiro will discuss the tomographic images that can't be produced by this facility that show 3D structure, for example the configuration of particles produced during colloidal processing of a ceramic coating, or the splats formed in a thermally sprayed coating.
High Performance Thin-Film Coatings - Ensuring Nanoscale Manufacturing Integrity takes place on 30th November 2010 at the Institute of Physics, London. For more information about this event and details of how to register, please visit www.nanoktn.com.
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