Jérémy Barbé [2021, ->], Marie-Paule Besland,Valérie Brien, Pierre-Yves Jouan, Antoine Goullet, Clément Maheu [2023, ->], Mireille Richard-Plouet, Post-doctoral researchers : Axel Ferrec [2014-2015], PhD students: Pierre-Louis Martin [2021-2024], Oumar Toure [2023-2026]

PhDs : Antoine Quenardel (PhD 2015), Julien Kéraudy (PhD 2015), Quentin Hatte (PhD 2019), Joëlle Zgheib (PhD 2021)

Reactive sputtering leads to the production of films with targeted properties. Their optimisation is driven by the implementation implementation of plasma diagnostics.
The deposition, carried out under vacuum and without intentional heating in continuous (DC) and pulsed HiPIMS (High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering) modes, offers a wide flexibility for the production of films and/or adhesion layers based on Nickel whether metal, oxide, nitrides, oxy-nitrides and silicides of Ni with a control of the stoichiometry, by adjusting the deposition parameters: Keraudy et al 2016 and Keraudy et al 2017.
Depending on the intended composition, these layers have applications in the field of energy (PV as collector layers for photo-generated carriers, energy storage as supercapacitors), temperature sensors, anti-corrosion coatings, or layers to reinforce mechanical properties.
Electrochemical sensors and electrochromic glazing can also be considered.

Keywords:           Continuous and pulsed magnetron reactive sputtering (HiPIMS), Transition metal coatings,Applications in the field of energy , Anti-corrosion coatings, mechanical properties
Expertises :         Control of plasma parameters to optimise a film with targeted properties, Plasma diagnostics, Microstructural characterisation of films and surfaces, ellipsometry, Monitoring of optical and electrical properties
Collaborations:   LTeN, CEISAM, GEM & GePEA (Nantes), MOLTECH-Anjou (Angers), ISCR (Rennes), Laboratoire d’études et de recherches sur les matériaux, les procédés et les surfaces (LERMPS), (Belfort-Montbéliard), Linköping University (Suède), IRT Jules Verne (Nantes), CEA (Saclay)

Marie-Paule Besland, Pierre-Yves Jouan, Cédric Mannequin [2022-->] Collaboration PMN team : Laurent Cario, Etienne Janod, Benoit Corraze, Post-doctoral researchers PMN : Julien Tranchant, Engineer : Thomas le Pape [2023-2025],PhD student : Tatiana Mbouja Signé [2022-2025]

PhD: Michael Rodriguez Fano (2022), Madec Querré (2016)

Since the IMN’s discovery highlighting the existence of a resistive switching induced by electric pulse in a wide range of materials, i.e. the Mott insulators, we investigate thin layers of Mott materials [Patents 2007, 2012).
The switching properties have been retrieve in crystallized thin layers obtained by Magnetron Sputtering (MS) of two materials GaV₄S₈ et V₂O₃:Cr (thickness range: 25-500 nm) [Patent 2009]. Following our works, these materials are considered as an emergent technology for memory [Adv. Func. Mat., 2015] and neuromorphic applications [Adv. Func. Mat., 2017] : the Mott-RAM technology.

 To know more                                            Review on IMN works on Mott materials      
                                    Mott materials for neuromorphism                        Properties of V₂0₃:Cr thin layers

Keywords               Thin layers, magnetron sputtering, Buffer annealing
Collaborations       PNF2 Platform Toulouse, CIRIMAT

Marie-Paule Besland, Antoine Goullet, Agnès Granier, Maryline Le Granvalet, Clément Maheu [2023, ->], Mireille Richard-Plouet , Invited researcher: Dayu Li [2018-2019] , Post-doctoral researcher : Florian Chabanais [2022-2024]

PhDs :   William Ravisy (2021), Stéphane Elisabeth (2015)

Our expertise in the PECVD process (low pressure inductively coupled RF plasma) for depositing thin layers from organometallic precursors has enabled us to optimize the process in order to synthesize at low temperature, on polymers, photo -catalytic TiO₂ thin films by applying RF power in pulsed mode. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed the columnar morphology of the thin films, completely crystallized in anatase form in continuous mode (T = 130 ° C) and crystallized only at the surface of the film in pulsed mode (T <80 ° C).
Recently, thin films of metal substituted anatase TiO₂ (Nb⁵⁺, W^5+/6+) have been obtained by injecting an organometallic precursor of the dopant. Their photo-catalytic properties in the visible and transparent conductive oxide are under study (ANR PATIO project in collaboration with LIST in Luxembourg, W. Ravisy PhD).

Keywords           nanomaterials, thin films, desalloying, flexible electronics, sensors
Expertises          PECVD, Analyse de surface XPS, MET, Ellipsométrie
Collaborations   LIST (Luxembourg) CHiPS, Université de Mons (Belgique)

Valérie Brien, Pierre-Yves Jouan, Mireille Richard-Plouet, Pierre-Louis Martin [2021-2024]

This activity aims at developing and optimizing new compounds as thin films exhibiting specific photocatalytic properties, that is antibacterial, in order to fight against hospital diseases. The films of Al-X-N-O composition are elaborated by magnetron sputtering, a deposition technique very common in industry. It allows one to control the nature, the nanostructuration and the morphology of the films via the plasma parameters.
The synthesis and the structural, chemical, morphological or surface characterizations are achieved at IMN. The antibacterial properties and mechanisms are studied at another CNRS lab : Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie pour les Matériaux et l'Environnement, LCPME (Nancy). The stability of phases and the electronic structure are evaluated by DFT calculation in Thessaloniki University (Greece). These simulations bring us elements to progress on the understanding of properties.

Keywords:  nitride, photocatalytic, antibacterial, TEM
Expertises: Morphological and chemical characterization of thin films, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Correlations between physico-chemical features of thin films and macroscopic properties
Collaborations :  LCPME (Nancy), IJL (Nancy), Synchrotron Soleil (Saclay), Université de Strathclyde (Ecosse, Royaume Uni), EPFL (Suisse), Synchrotron Diamond (Oxford Royaume Uni), Université de Thessalonique (Grèce).

Christophe Cardinaud, Nicolas Gautier, Antoine Goullet, Jonathan Hamon, Mireille Richard-Plouet, Post-Doctoral researchers: Florian Chabanais [2022-2024], Yoan Gazal [2016-2017]

 The ANR SiNOCH project has made it possible to synthesize, by plasma processes, organosilicon materials of the silicon nitride or carbide type. To this end, the OPTIMIST platform, coupled with an XPS spectrometer, was implemented according to different deposition process configurations. The link between deposition conditions and characteristics (in situ and ex-situ) of the materials has been established. The study is currently continuing with the ANR NANOPLAST (see website) project for the development of thin films for solar energy thermal conversion. Thus, SiC / metal (W) nanocomposite materials are promising candidates as absorbers of solar radiation. The work carried out at IMN focuses on the study by TEM microscopy and XPS spectrometry of the nanostructuring and atomic arrangement of these materials, in relation to the optical properties assessed by ellipsometry.

To go further
Impact of deposition conditions on the SiCN :H : nitride /Silicon carbide layers composition
PECVD growth mechanism and SiCN :H thin films characteristics

Keywords                PECVD processes, organosilicon, solar energy thermal conversion, dielectric-metal nanocomposites
Expertises              TEM microscopy, XPS spectrometry, ellipsometry
Collaborations        PROMES (Perpignan), ICCF (Clermont-Ferrand)