Plasma surface functionalization

Plasma surface functionalization is one of the most exciting areas of plasma technology. It involves breaking the top-most surface bonds of a material and terminating them with new chemical functionalities which impart an entirely new surface characteristic without affecting the bulk properties of the material. This is a dry technology environmentally friendly, typically used at room temperature.
 surfatron-reactor

We have experience in

  • Chemical inertia and affinity,
  • Biocompatibility
  • Adhesion
  • Cleaning and sterility
  • Increase surface roughness
  • Modify surface chemical groups
  • Improve/taylor wettability
  • Surface polymerization

Technologies available:

  • Low pressure RF/MW plasma treatments
  • Atmospheric pressure dielectric barried discharge (DBD) treatments

 

Nanostructured thin film and multilayer growth
thin film growth

We have experience in

  • Compact and porous films
  • Thin film plasma polymerization
  • Diamond like carbon
  • Transparent oxides (ZnO, TiO2, SiO2, ZrO2, Ta2O5, Nb2O5, Fe2O3, )
  • Mixed oxides (TiSixOy, ZrSixOy, AlSixOy)
  • Transparent conductive oxides (ITO, AZO)
  • Luminescent oxides (Y2O3:RE, ZnO:RE, SiO2:Eu; RE:Rare earth element)
  • Electrochromic oxides (WSixOy, CoSixOy)
  • Silicones (SiOxCyHz)

Thin film growth equipment available

  • PVD Magnetron sputtering
  • PVD Electron beam evaporation
  • Capacitively coupled RF plasma CVD
  • ECR-MW plasma CVD
  • MW surfatron plasma CVD
  • Thermal CVD
  • Spin coating
  • ALD

 

Surface and thin film analysis
 
  • Roughness analysis (perfilometry)
  • Surface morphology/microstructure (AFM, SEM)
  • Chemical surface analysis (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)
  • Wettability, surface energy (contact angle measurements)
  • Structure of thin films and bulk materials (XRD)
  • Cross section structural analysis (SEM, EDAX)
  • Elemental in-depth profiling (TOF-SIMS, RBS)
  • Local chemistry, bonding structure (FTIR, Raman)

 

Plasma assisted catalysis: plasma technology for environmental applications

Up to very recently, plasma technology and catalysis have been considered as separated investigation fields. In the last years, especially in relation to noxious gas treatments, it has been found that synergetic effects can be obtained if heterogeneous catalysts are used in conjunction with plasma processes.
TOI-plasma_catalysis

Related publications:
Evaluation of Different Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Configurations As an Alternative Technology for Green C-1 Chemistry in the Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane and the Direct Decomposition of Methanol

Hybrid catalytic-DBD plasma reactor for the production of hydrogen and preferential CO oxidation (CO-PROX) at reduced temperatures

Hydrogen production by reforming of hydrocarbons and alcohols in a dielectric barrier discharge