Summary of Current Research Programmes

There are four main research activities in this area:

Ion-assisted coatings
Microbiology
Surface Engineering
Chemical Vapour Deposition

The Ion-Assisted Coatings activity, headed by Professor John Colligon, is based on the production of thin film coatings using Ion-Assisted Deposition with particular emphasis on the understanding of the relationship between film properties and deposition parameters. The research group is internationally recognised with achievements in MAX alloys and nanocomposite hard coatings, corrosion-resistant layers and optical coatings. A new range of coatings is now being developed with applications in sustainable energy systems including fuel cells and photovoltaic devices.

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The Surface Engineering activity, headed by Professor Peter Kelly, specialises in the development and applications of the magnetron sputtering deposition technique with particular emphasis on the pulsed magnetron sputtering for which the Group is an internationally leading academic exponent. In addition to carrying out fundamental process studies, the research team utilises pulsed sputtering to produce a wide range of coatings, including high quality defect-free dielectric materials, novel transparent conductive oxides, hard, wear-resistant materials and nano -composites. Much of this work is industrially supported. The research group also operates an extensive suite of analytical equipment, capable of determining the structural, chemical, tribological optical, and electrical properties of the engineered surfaces.

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Microbiology studies, led by Professor Joanna Verran, have provided a unique dimension to research in the surface coatings area. This highly successful interdisciplinary collaboration combines chemistry and thin film coatings research with microbiology. One focus has been the production and modification of novel, defined surfaces with nano- and micro-sized features for monitoring interactions with micro-organisms. This surface fouling has significant implications in medicine and dentistry, and food and environmental areas, and the research group has established an international reputation in several related areas, including dental technology, prosthodontics, food hygiene and hygienic surfaces. The ability to screen novel surfaces and treatments for antifouling and antibacterial activity, and for biodegradability, complements the innovative synthetic activities is an essential facility for these studies..

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The Chemical Vapour Deposition activity has two sections. The first, based on hot filament CVD, focuses on functional applications for polycrystalline and nanocrystalline thin diamond films and is internationally recognised in this field. Current work includes the control of surface morphology and grain size for optical applications, development of diamond based electrodes for electrochemical applications and biomedical diamond coatings, e.g. diamond coated dental burs, artificial heart valves, hip prostheses. The research group has developed a new technique known as Time Modulated CVD of Diamond in collaboration with Aveiro University (Portugal) and a method to synthesise significant quantities of hydrogenated and methylated fullerenes by gas phase reactions. Work has recently started on synthesising diamond nanorods using zeolites as templates
The second section studies plasma-assisted CVD using an ECR source and a range of pressures to form larger area coatings .

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Band-gap engineering
Binary oxides
Biocompatible films for implant prostheses
Controlled surface topography for fundamental studies of lubricant flow over bearings
Corrosion resistance studies using novel compositionally-graded thin films and alloys with controlled microstructure
Chemical Vapour Deposition of rough hard polycrystalline diamond films for dental burs
Chemical Vapour Deposition of thin diamond films and diamond-like carbon
Deposition of diamond films onto steel substrates
Development of a UHV magnetron sputtering system
Development of large area pulsed deposition systems
Diagnostic study of pulsed magnetron plasmas: a route to advanced engineering coatings
Effect of surface topography and chemistry on microbial retention
Environmentally friendly coatings for automotive parts (EFCAP)
Enhanced deposition of TiO2 for optical coatings
Improving the durability of optical coatings
In-situ determination and control of stress in coatings and relation between stress and coating performance
Low temperature plasma processing of materials
MAX alloy coatings for high temperature applications
Measurement of mechanical properties and behaviour of materials
Nanocomposite thin film hard coatings and metastable alloys for engineering applications including cutting tools
Non-evaporatable getters
Study of Ni release from Ni-Cr dental alloys
Novel components by unbalanced magnetron sputtering
Novel low friction titanium nitride coatings by pulsed magnetron sputtering
Novel transparent conductive oxide coatings from powder targets
Nucleation studies of time-modulated chemical vapour deposition of diamond based coatings
Optical multilayer coatings
Pathogen Combat: fouling and cleanability of food contact surfaces
Performance of adhesively bonded materials
Plasma assisted PVD for thick engineering coating
Pulsed bias enhanced nucleation of nanocrystalline diamond films using hot filament chemical vapour deposition
A study of the structure and properties of co-deposited PVD coatings
Structural analysis using finite element analysis (FEA)
Surface modification and interactions with microorganisms
The effect of fingerprints, organic and microbial soil on the hygienic status of stainless steel
Wash resistance of antimicrobials in textiles