Plasma and Coatings Physics (PLASM)

We are an innovative and forward-thinking group at the forefront of advanced plasma techniques. Our goal is to address major challenges facing contemporary materials science and technology. Through a combination of experimental and theoretical tools we seek to understand and exploit the process-plasma-material interaction.

Coloured SEM image of unique truss like structures, fabricated within our group, termed nanotrusses. The structures consist of interlinked iron nanoparticles. (Inset) STEM image showing individual iron nanoparticles.

Research at Plasma and coatings physics division

Our current research interests are focused into two main areas.

Plasma Theory and Diagnostics for Thin Film Deposition

The use of pulsed plasma pulses to sputter material it allows the deposition of thin films with unmatched density and quality. We are helping to further improve the quality of films deposited by investigating the underlying theory of pulsed plasmas, their characterisation by innovative in-situ methods and exploitation in the deposition of novel thin films.

Deposition of Anisotropic Nanoparticle Arrays

The division made the discovery that the application of a pulse plasma combined with a hollow cathode and applied magnetic field allows the formation of unique structures, see above. Our aim is to exploit these structures to enable improved performance for real world applications, for example water splitting for energy storage.

Collaborations

The division works with research groups across a wide range of disciplines both domestically and aboard. This includes a significant number of guest scientists and students working a wide range of projects.

Spin Out Company

In order to commercially exploit the benefits of thin film deposition by HiPIMS, in 2010, members of the group formed the spin out company; Ionautics AB (www.ionautics.com).

Doctoral education

More about our research

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Staff

Recent publications

2024

Pentti Niiranen, Anna Kapran, Hama Nadhom, Martin Cada, Zdenek Hubicka, Henrik Pedersen, Daniel Lundin (2024) Plasma electron characterization in electron chemical vapor deposition Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 42, Article 023006 Continue to DOI
Clara Linder, Smita Gangaprasad Rao, Robert Boyd, Grzegorz Greczynski, Per Eklund, Sara Munktell, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Emma Björk (2024) Effect of Mo content on the corrosion resistance of (CoCrFeNi)1−xMox thin films in sulfuric acid Thin Solid Films, Vol. 790, Article 140220 Continue to DOI
Daria Pankratova, Khabib Yusupov, Alberto Vomiero, Sanath Kumar Honnali, Robert Boyd, Daniele Fournier, Sebastian Ekeroth, Ulf Helmersson, Clio Azina, Arnaud Le Febvrier (2024) Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties by Embedding Fe Nanoparticles into CrN Films for Energy Harvesting Applications ACS Applied Nano Materials, Vol. 7, p. 3428-3435 Continue to DOI

2023

P. Klein, J. Hnilica, Daniel Lundin, P. Dvorak, Michal Zanaska, Ulf Helmersson, P. Vasina (2023) Temporal, spatial and spectroscopic study of plasma emission on Cu target in bipolar HiPIMS Plasma sources science & technology, Vol. 32, Article 075019 Continue to DOI
H. Hajihoseini, N. Brenning, M. Rudolph, M. A. Raadu, Daniel Lundin, Joel Fischer, T. M. Minea, J. T. Gudmundsson (2023) Target ion and neutral spread in high power impulse magnetron sputtering Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 41, Article 013002 Continue to DOI
Hao Du, Michal Zanaska, Ulf Helmersson, Daniel Lundin (2023) On selective ion acceleration in bipolar HiPIMS: A case study of (Al,Cr)2O3 film growth Surface & Coatings Technology, Vol. 454, Article 129153 Continue to DOI
Smita Gangaprasad Rao, Pascal Manuel Illgner, Robert Boyd, Gyula Nagy, Philippe Djemia, Daniel Primetzhofer, Ivan Petrov, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Per Eklund (2023) Low temperature epitaxial growth of Cantor-nitride thin films by magnetic field assisted magnetron sputtering Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 41, Article 053415 Continue to DOI
V. G. Antunes, M. Rudolph, A. Kapran, H. Hajihoseini, M. A. Raadu, Nils Brenning, J. T. Gudmundsson, Daniel Lundin, T. Minea (2023) Influence of the magnetic field on the extension of the ionization region in high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges Plasma sources science & technology, Vol. 32, Article 075016 Continue to DOI
Jui-Che Chang, Eric Nestor Tseng, Yi-Ling Lo, Sanjay Kumar Nayak, Daniel Lundin, Per O. Å. Persson, Ray-Hua Horng, Lars Hultman, Jens Birch, Ching-Lien Hsiao (2023) HiPIMS-grown AlN buffer for threading dislocation reduction in DC-magnetron sputtered GaN epifilm on sapphire substrate Vacuum, Vol. 217, Article 112553 Continue to DOI
Swetha Suresh Babu, Martin Rudolph, Peter John Ryan, Joel Fischer, Daniel Lundin, James W. Bradley, Jon Tomas Gudmundsson (2023) High power impulse magnetron sputtering of tungsten: a comparison of experimental and modelling results Plasma sources science & technology, Vol. 32, Article 034003 Continue to DOI
Hao Du, Rui Shu, Robert Boyd, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Ulf Helmersson, Per Eklund, Daniel Lundin (2023) Evolution of microstructure and properties of TiNbCrAlHfN films grown by unipolar and bipolar high-power impulse magnetron co-sputtering: The role of growth temperature and ion bombardment Surface & Coatings Technology, Vol. 459, Article 129389 Continue to DOI
Tun-Wei Hsu, Grzegorz Greczynski, Bjarke Holl Christensen, Klaus Pagh Almtoft, Robert Boyd, Szilárd Kolozsvári, Peter Polcik, Stephan Bolz, Werner Kölker, Christoph Schiffers, Biljana Mesic, Magnus Odén (2023) Effects of substrate rotation during AlSi-HiPIMS/Ti-DCMS co-sputtering growth of TiAlSiN coatings on phase content, microstructure, and mechanical properties Surface & Coatings Technology, Vol. 453, Article 128986 Continue to DOI
Sanath Kumar Honnali, Charlotte Poterie, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Daniel Lundin, Grzegorz Greczynski, Per Eklund (2023) Effect of tilted closed-field magnetron design on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiZrNbTaN coatings Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 41, Article 043402 Continue to DOI
Hao Du, Rui Shu, Robert Boyd, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Mauricio A. Sortica, Daniel Primetzhofer, Ulf Helmersson, Per Eklund, Daniel Lundin (2023) Corundum-structured AlCrNbTi oxide film grown using high-energy early-arriving ion irradiation in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering Scripta Materialia, Vol. 234, Article 115578 Continue to DOI
Pentti Niiranen, Hama Nadhom, Michal Zanaska, Robert Boyd, Mauricio Sortica, Daniel Primetzhofer, Daniel Lundin, Henrik Pedersen (2023) Biased quartz crystal microbalance method for studies of chemical vapor deposition surface chemistry induced by plasma electrons Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 94, Article 023902 Continue to DOI
Max Renner, Joel Fischer, H. Hajihoseini, J. T. Gudmundsson, M. Rudolph, Daniel Lundin (2023) Angular distribution of titanium ions and neutrals in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 41, Article 033009 Continue to DOI
Joel Fischer, Max Renner, J. T. Gudmundsson, M. Rudolph, H. Hajihoseini, Nils Brenning, Daniel Lundin (2023) Insights into the copper HiPIMS discharge: deposition rate and ionised flux fraction Plasma sources science & technology, Vol. 32, Article 125006 Continue to DOI
Zhixing Wu, Mikhail Vagin, Robert Boyd, Penghui Ding, Oleksandr Pshyk, Grzegorz Greczynski, Magnus Odén, Emma Björk (2023) Selectivity Control of Oxygen Reduction Reaction over Mesoporous Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts for Electrified Purification Technologies ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol. 15, p. 26093-26103 Continue to DOI
Smita Gangaprasad Rao, Boburjon Mukhamedov, Gyula Nagy, Eric Nestor Tseng, Rui Shu, Robert Boyd, Daniel Primetzhofer, Per O A Persson, Björn Alling, Igor Abrikosov, Arnaud Le Febvrier, Per Eklund (2023) Phase formation in CrFeCoNi nitride thin films Physical Review Materials, Vol. 7, Article 055002 Continue to DOI

2022

Janella Salamania, Davide Giuseppe Sangiovanni, A. Kraych, K.M. Calamba Kwick, I.C. Schramm, L.J.S. Johnson, Robert Boyd, Babak Bakhit, Tun-Wei Hsu, M. Mrovec, Lina Rogström, Ferenc Tasnadi, Igor A. Abrikosov, Magnus Odén (2022) Elucidating dislocation core structures in titanium nitride through high-resolution imaging and atomistic simulations Materials & design, Vol. 224, Article 111327 Continue to DOI

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