HIPIMS for nanocomposite coatings

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C10.0134

Key words (English)

HIPIMS; sputtering; thin films; nanocomposites

Research programs (English)

COST-Action MP0804 - Highly Ionised Pulse Plasma Processes

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: Eidg. Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt EMPA General Chair ICMCTF 2009 Editor Surface & Coating Technology, Group Leader Thin Films

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, IE, IS, LT, NL, PL, PT, SE, TR, UK

Abstract (English)

In the course of this project a variant of the standard HiPIMS process was developed (termed 'chopped HiPIMS'), and its benefits with respect to inceased deposition rate and improved morphology was shown. The technique was used to prepare coatings of metallic titanuim and of TiN. The Ti coatings proved to be much denser and showed lower droplet density than those prepared by standard HiPIMS. Two Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) combined the competencies of foreign labs and our to yield valuable results for the understanding of the HiPIMS process and the filmns repared by them. A comparison was made between Al-Si-N layers deposited by (standard) HiPIMS and by DCMS, which showed that HiPIMS is capable of preparing denser and harder coatings. The project led to two new projects involving HiPIMS for the deposition of improved coatings to be used in industrial applications (coatings for precision glass moulding and for biomedical applications). Another project addressing some fundamental questions related to oxynitride coatings by HiPIMS is about to start. This succesful COST project opened the way for our laoratory to new routes in thin films deposition and understanding of the processes to prepare them.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C10.0134