Thin Film engineering

IRP 2, Thin Film engineering, has the goal to develop high-performance coatings for mastering the surface properties at minimal energetic price and resource consumption. In the previous grant period, we focused on the development of thin films for energy and health applications in close connection with other IRPs. For 2020-2025, IRP2 aims to use its expertise to foster new and innovative projects around three axes:

To mimic nanostructured surfaces playing a key role for many living organism (plants and animals), we focus on bio-inspired nano-architectured surfaces that will be used for water management (filtration, super-wettability), preventing bacteria adhesion and biofilm formation.

Functional materials can be also turned into active devices producing their own measurement signal or electric power. We address this need for thin film functional materials with different physical properties to produce harsh environment sensors, thin films for powering low consumption sensors or communication systems, smart cutting tools using piezoelectric films and conductive materials for transparent electrodes.

Surface functionalization brings new chemical, physical or morphological functions to any kind of surface thanks to different coating techniques. First, we investigate the properties arising from inorganic coatings combined with bio-sourced materials and the development of new smart chemical sensors used for monitoring biological media. We also explore the coating of lattice structures for improving their durability by making anti-corrosion barriers.

IRP Leaders:
Vincent CONSONNI, David RIASSETTO