PROJECTS
Inner Diameter Coatings
The replacement of Cr(VI)-dependent hard-chrome coatings is a pressing issue for industry. While PVD coatings are suitable solutions for external surfaces, they can not be deposited on cavities and internal surfaces. The development of our novel plasma source allows the deposition of coatings on inner diameters. Cavities down to 5 mm diameter can be coated in a green and nonhazardous plasma vacuum process.
High Purity Alumina Coatings
Alumina coatings are commonly used in semiconductor technology but low deposition rates and impurities limit the range of their application. With the development of a plasma source that can deposit high-purity Alumina coatings at an unprecedented coating-rate we aim to enable the next generation of isolating and inert oxide coatings with a tunable microstructure, crystallinity, hardness and phase-distribution.
Smooth ta-C Coatings
Tetrahedral-amorphous carbon coatings are the top performer of carbon coatings. They have a high hardness (>40 GPa), temperature-stability, and can form lubricating films on their surface. Commercial methods can deposit ta-C coatings either with disadvantageous high roughness or at a very high price. With the development of a dedicated ta-C plasma source we target the production of low-cost ta-C coatings.
C-based Coatings for Bipolar Plates
Carbon coatings offer a high corrosion resistance and are ideal solutions to enable the use of metal bipolar plates in PEM fuel cells. Bipolar plates have to realize the gas distribution and assure good thermal and electrical conductivity. Therefore the carbon coating needs to be very conductive. Our technology development aims to deposit metal- and H- free conductive carbon coatings for bipolar plates with a cost-efficiency suitable for the automotive market.