Plasma Technology Laboratory (PTL_UP) is one of the Research Labs of the
Department of Chemical Engineering (DCE_UP) at the University of Patras, Greece.

PTL_UP was founded in 1985 and since then it has been involved in research and education activities concerning Plasma Processing.

Plasma Processing is one of the most rapidly developing advanced technology fields dealing with the production and/or functionalization of new or enhanced materials for a wide range of high tech applications ranging from Microelectronics to Nanotechnology and MicroElectroMechanics.

The research in PTL_UP aims at the development and understanding of the mechanisms of these processes in the context of the following scientific and technological areas:

• Low Pressure Plasma Chemistry and Physics:

  • Electron Collision Processes

  • Electron Heating Mechanisms

  • Plasma-Phase and Surface Kinetics

• Plasma Surface Interaction:

  • Energy Transfer

  • Surface Modification of Materials

• Plasma Diagnostics:

  • Laser Induced Fluorescence

  • Spatially Resolved Optical Emission Spectroscopy

  • Fourier Transform Power and Impedance Analysis

  • Laser Reflectance Interferometry

• Plasma Modeling:

  • Kinetic, Mass-Transfer and CFD Modeling

  • Electric Plasma Modeling

  • Energy Transfer Modeling

• Plasma Enhanced Deposition (PECVD) of Thin Films:

  • amorphous and microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H, μC-Si:H)

  • silicon oxides (SiOx)

  • diamond like carbon (DLC)

  • various inorganic oxides from liquid precursors

• Development of New Plasma Sources and Tools:

  • Large area Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP)

  • Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

  • Atmospheric pressure, Dielectric Barrier Discharges (DBD)

The strategy followed for the development of each process-material-application set is based on the use of- many unique- plasma diagnostic techniques that are then combined with
_Ä  plasma-CFD modeling and correlated with
_Ä  material characterization techniques for achieving
_Ä  optimized material properties and yield. 

Some of the targeted applications are:

• Applications:

  • Intrinsic and Doped layers for large area Photovoltaics

  • Thin-Film Transistors (TFT’s)

  • Optoelectronic Sensors

  • Highly Resistive Coatings

  • Hard Coatings

  • Barrier and Protective Coatings

  • Modification of surface properties (wetability, adhesion etc)

  • Hazardous Gas Treatment (VOC's, NOx)

  • Plasma Sterilization

PTL_UP  has permanent collaboration links with many renowned European University Labs, Research Institutions and Companies in the framework of EU RTD projects and thematic networks.
 

PTL_UP is participating to these recent or forthcoming events: