Carbon- and/or nitrogen-containing thin films and nanomaterials

The focus of this proposal is on C- and/or N- containing thin films and nano-materials. The objective is to provide an exchange platform for scientists, engineers and students dealing with the synthesis, characterization and application of these materials. Experimental and theoretical papers as well as industrial contributions are welcome.

Scope:

C- or N-containing thin films and nano-materials offer a wealth of structures based on metastable phases, nanocomposites or nanosized multilayers and low-dimensional structures which allow various properties such as optical, optoelectronic, magnetic, electrical and mechanical ones. Metastable films can consist of plasma polymers, diamond-like carbon or CNx phases, while nanocomposite can be tailored by adding either metallic or non-metallic elements with various C or N affinity to amorphous or crystalline matrixes. Finally, nitride and C-based low-dimensional structures such as flakes or tubes can be functionalized by appropriate chemical functionalities to be integrated in a composite material or to be used as building part in different types of sensors, nanomachines... The objective of this symposium is to highlight the progresses in fundamental and applied issues related to the development of these materials and to bridge the gap between science and technology. Among others, carbon- or nitrogen- containing films or composites materials consisting on nanocrystalline particles embedded in an inorganic and/or organic matrix, including plasma polymers, will be considered. On the other hand, nanolaminated structures such as MAX-phases are also in the scope of this symposium. Finally, we also aim to address N- and C- based low-dimensional structures unembedded or not in a matrix.

Contributions investigating plasma composition – material structure - films property – relationships by experimental and theoretical means will be considered. The foreseen contributions will belong to one of these categories: (i) films’ synthesis by advanced processes, such as high power impulse magnetron sputtering, atmospheric plasma processes, and hybrid techniques, (ii) mechanical, tribological, thermal, electrical, optical, optoelectronic and magnetic properties, biomedical compatibility, and correlations between these properties and deposition parameters, structure or films’ composition, (iii) process modeling and diagnostic, surface interaction and nucleation phenomena, investigation of degradation mechanisms e.g. phase and microstructure stability under different environments and coating-substrate interdiffusion, (iv) engineering-oriented contributions including automotive, chemical, electrical, optical, magnetic/optical data storage, pharmaceutical or biomedical applications, and emerging applications as in energy systems.

Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:

• Novel fabrication and synthesis routes in physical and (plasma enhanced) chemical vapor deposition
• Advances in controlled growth of nanocomposite thin films and nanostructured materials
• Plasma treatment and synthesis of N- and C-based low dimensional structures including their characterizations.
• Diagnostics providing insight into the growth process and resulting material properties
• Modeling of growth processes and film properties
• Degradation mechanisms linked to phase and microstructure stability and interdiffusion
• Multifunctional coatings with advanced applications in tribology, optics, data storage, (bio)sensing and energy-relevant fields.
• Biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of coated materials
• Advanced micro- and nanofabrication techniques for C- and/or N- containing thin films and nanomaterials