Academic cooperation
RWTH Aachen University
Aachen, Germany
The collaboration with Materials Chemistry (MCh) at RWTH Aachen University under the leadership of Prof. Jochen M. Schneider has been ongoing since 2020. Not only students but also employees have made research stays at the MCh. Also, several of our current employees have previously worked at MCh. Joint publications on the synthesis, analysis of thin films and predictions of thin film properties document the mutual collaboration. MCh is dedicated to quantum mechanically guided materials design.
Montanuniversität Leoben
Leoben, Austria
The collaboration with the Computational Materials Science Group at Montanuniversität Leoben, led by Prof. David Holec, has been ongoing since 2019. In the framework of the collaboration, we are working on predicting the properties of deposited layers and gaining insights beyond experimental possibilities through theoretical calculations, as documented in our joint publications. This is in line with the goal of the group around Prof. Holec - to complement experimental efforts in modern materials science.
TU Wien
Vienna, Austria
The collaboration with the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Surface Engineering at TU Wien, led by Dr. Helmut Riedl, has been ongoing since 2023 and focuses mainly on the micromechanical analysis of deposited coatings. The laboratory aims for the exploration of novel coating materials as well as functional designs for application-related efficiency enhancements to increase sustainability. Since 2019, we have also been collaborating with the Research Group for Thin Film Materials Science at TU Wien under the leadership of Prof. Paul Heinz Mayrhofer. We are mainly dedicated to the prediction of thin film properties and the theoretical description of phenomena beyond the capabilities of instrumental analysis, as documented in our joint publications.
Linköping University
Linköping, Sweden
The collaboration with Plasma and Coatings Physics (PLASM) at Linköping University, led by Prof. Ulf Helmersson, has been ongoing since 2021. The mutual collaboration is evidenced by joint papers dealing with the diagnosis of bipolar High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering.
Université de Mons
Mons, Belgie
The collaboration with ChiPS (Chimie des Interactions plasma surface) at the University of Mons under the supervision of dr. Nikolay Britun has been developing since 2016. The cooperation deals with time-resolved diagnostics of high power impulse magnetron sputtering using laser-induced fluorescence, absorption and optical spectroscopy.
Centre for Energy Research
Budapest, Hungary
Collaboration with the Thin Film Physics Department at the MTA under the supervision of dr. Katalin Balázsi has been developing since 2014 and is focussed on structural analyses of thin films. The main expertise of the MTA is high resolution transmission electron microscopy.
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, United Kingdom
The cooperation with Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Liverpool under the supervision of prof. James W. Bradley was established in 2014. The joint investigation concerns the time-resolved measurements of high power impulse magnetron sputtering using the strip probes, which were developed by prof. Bradley's group.
Université Paris-Sud
Paris, France
The cooperation with the LPGP (Laboratoire De Physique Des Gaz Et Des Plasmas) at the Université Paris-Sud under the supervision of prof. Tiberiu Minea has been going on since 2005. Several students and researchers spent some time via the Erasmus at LPGP. The collaboration is proven by several joint papers dealing mainly with fundamental processes of magnetron sputtering. LPGP is interested in preparation and characterization of thin films and plasma modelling.
University of Groningen
Groningen, Netherlands
The collaboration with the Advanced Production Engineering group at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen under the supervision of prof. Yutao Pei is ongoing since 2017. Several students were on a research stay at RuG via the Erasmus program. Professor Pei is also a Visiting professor at MU and is giving regular lectures. Mutual collaboration is documented by several joint papers. The main expertise of APE is measurement of tribological properties, electron microscopy and measurements of mechanical properties including in-situ measurements in an electron microscope.
Institut Des Materiaux Jean Rouxel
Nantes, France
The cooperation with the Plasma et couches minces (Plasma and thin films) group under supervision of prof. Tessier has been going on since 2008. It is focussed mainly deposition and analyses of nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings. Several students spent some time via the Erasmus program at the IMN and the collaboration is proven by several joint papers. The main expertise at the IMN is X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and electron microscopy.
Industry collaboration
SHM Šumperk s. r. o.
Šumperk, Czech Republic
We have established wide cooperation with Czech company SHM, s.r.o. ranging from deposition process diagnostics, through the development of new coatings and deposition processes to chemical and microstructural analysis of deposited coatings. The long-standing successful partnership can be illustrated by currently running projects funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
PLATIT AG
Selzach, Switzerland & Šumperk, Czech Republic
Cooperation with Swiss company PLATIT AG is focussed on the development and analysis of hard wear resistant coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering with applications in material machining. Our main task is the determination of the chemical composition and of the crystalline structure of the coatings that provide the necessary feedback for optimization of up-to-date coatings as well as for the development of new coatings.
Ionautics
Linköping, Sweden
We have established cooperation with the company Ionautics on developing biased quartz crystal microbalances, flux measurements of neutrals and ions forming a thin film and subsequent diagnostics of the deposition plasma.
HVM Plasma spol. s r. o.
Prague, Czech Republic
We have established cooperation with the Czech company HVM Plasma Ltd. on the development and analysis of coatings with applications in the sensor or decoration sector. The successful cooperation is illustrated by the TAČR projects.
Tescan
Brno, Czech Republic
We have established cooperation focussed on the determination of the fracture toughness of materials even in the form of coatings and thin films with the Czech producer of electron microscopes Tescan. The method is based on the preparation of precise micropillars and microcantilevers from the analysed material by ion beam and their gradual loading and observing their cracking behaviour. This enables us to determine the properties of the analysed materials without unwanted errors caused by the effect of the substrate.