Functional coatings of components
Functional coating processes: Plasma and vacuum coating (PVD, PA-CVD), atmospheric pressure plasma coating processes as well as digital printing processes
Atmospheric pressure plasma coating system, credit JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Bernhard Bergmann
We use functional coatings to improve the properties or add new functions: Flow resistance, abrasion, antibacterial, conductivity, adhesion, etc. We are proficient in numerous coating processes, plasma and vacuum coating (PVD, PA-CVD), atmospheric pressure plasma jet processes, as well as digital printing processes. You can find our range of digital printing processes in the section Printing processes and printed electronics.
Service portfolio: From development to production
Our services include the development, characterisation and production of functional coatings under atmospheric pressure (~1013 hPa (mbar)), in low pressure fine vacuum (~0.1 Pa) and high vacuum (~10-5 Pa) and range from problem analyses, literature research and feasibility studies to prototype production and small series coating. As part of technology transfer projects, we also support our partners in the installation and establishment of coating processes in-house.
Coatings enhance the structural properties of a component (e.g. the necessary mechanical stability) with special surface properties (e.g. additional functions such as low friction and wear protection, design and haptics, sensor technology, electr(on)ics, biocompatibility, etc.). Numerous different processes are available today for producing coatings.
Special plasma-assisted coating processes enable (highly) energetic coating application and use physical and chemical processes that occur when a solid surface interacts with plasmas (ionised gas consisting of neutral gas atoms, ions and mobile electrons). The layers produced range in thickness from a few nanometres to several hundred micrometres and can be applied to metallic, ceramic and polymer base materials as well as composite materials.
One of our core competences is low-temperature coating, which makes it possible to produce coatings at almost room temperature.
Application example: Biomedical coatings and implants
We develop manufacturing and coating processes for haemocompatible, antibacterial and osteoinductive components for a new generation of implants (heart valves, spinal implants and implantable electronic actuators and sensors). We also coat 3D printed substrates for this purpose.
We have the following technologies available:
Atmospheric pressure plasmajet coating system
Atmospheric pressure plasma coating technologies (ADPB), e.g. with plasma jets, do not require a vacuum chamber and are therefore subject to hardly any size restrictions with regard to the components to be coated. Possible applications of ADPB include the activation of polymer surfaces by oxygen or inert gas and the deposition of pure metal, oxide and polymer coatings doped with (nano) particles as wear protection, corrosion protection and barrier layers or as biocompatible, antibacterial or biofunctional layers and as electrical insulation layers or conductor tracks and electrodes.
Low-pressure plasma system
Low-pressure plasma offers a wide range of possibilities for surface modification, e.g. fine cleaning of contaminated components, plasma activation of plastic parts, etching of PTFE or silicon and the coating of plastic and metal parts with PTFE-like layers (see practical example of HMDSO anti-adhesion layer on structured nickel moulding). The advantages of plasma coating are the constant and fully automated processes suitable for series production, with which extremely thin coatings in the nanometre range can be produced in a wide range of variants with very good gap mobility and also on piece and bulk material without the need for temperature input or the use of solvents.
Research groups
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Other products and services
Environmental, bioanalytical and diagnostic sensor technology combined with smart microfluidic lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip systems
Cost-effective solutions by extending the functions of classic LED-based lighting systems in the areas of Visible Light Communication, Visible Light Positioning and Visible Light Sensing
R2R-UV-NIL pilot line for the continuous and cost-effective production of micro- and nanostructures on flexible large-area film substrates
Additive manufacturing thanks to new design and simulation tools, new materials and the realisation of special topological structures
Laser processes and systems for the production of three-dimensional structures with high resolution in the micrometre range.
Laser welding, laser alloying and laser cladding, with a particular focus on materials expertise
Development of customised prototypes, especially in the areas of LED lighting and sensor technology: circuit design, the conception of the system through to prototyping
Scalable and digital printing processes (including 3D printing of electronics) for generative manufacturing of functional components
Overall concepts for design, simulation, optimisation and prototyping of optical components for customised lighting solutions
High-resolution 3D structuring using two-photon lithography, as well as 2D and continuous 2.5D structuring using maskless grayscale laser lithography and electron beam lithography
Replication of master structures almost seamlessly onto large surfaces (380 x 700 mm²) using a step&repeat UV-NIL process
