FRAUNHOFER GROUP FOR LIGHT & SURFACESSMART SURFACES

W W W. L I G H T- A N D - S U R F A C E S . F R A U N H O F E R . D E

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CONTENTS

Surfaces – Surface technology

drives numerous innovations 3

The group institutes 4

Core competencies

• Materials technology 6

• Micro- and nanotechnologies 8

• Thin-filmtechnology 10

• Plasmatechnology 12

• Electronbeamtechnology 14

1 Laser nanostructuring.

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• Plasmatechnology

• Electronbeamtechnology

• EUV technology

• Processandsystemsimulation

Fields of application

TheFraunhoferinstitutesareabletodrawonextensive

processexpertisetoprovidecustomerswithtailored,laser-

andprocess-specificsolutionsthattakematerialandproduct

design,construction,meansofproductionandquality

assuranceintoaccount.Thesesolutionsserveawiderange

ofindustries:

• Automotive

• Biotechnologyandlifesciences

• Electronics and sensor technology

• Energyandtheenvironment

• Aerospace

•Mechanicalandplantengineering,

toolanddiemanufacturing

• Optics

SURFACES – SURFACE TECHNOLOGY DRIVES NUMEROUS INNOVATIONSWithin theFraunhoferGroupforLight&Surfaces, sixFraunhofer institutescooperate in the fieldsof lasers,

optics,metrologyandcoatingtechnology.Theinstitutescombinecomplementaryskil lsinthefollowingareas:

laser manufacturing techniques, beam sources, metrology, medicine and life sciences, optical systems

andopticsmanufacturing,EUVtechnology,processandsystemsimulation,materials technology,micro-and

nanotechnologies,andthin-fi lm,plasmaandelectronbeamtechnology.

Competency by networking

Buildingontheirbasicresearchinthevariousfieldsof

application,theinstitutesworktogethertosupplyfast,flexible

andcustomer-specificsystemsolutionsinthefieldsofcoating

technologyandphotonics.Strategyiscoordinatedtoreflect

currentmarketrequirements,yieldingsynergiesthatbenefit

thecustomer.Theinstitutesalsocollaboratewiththeirlocal

universitiestoprovidethefullrangeofstudenteducation,up

toandincludingdoctoralstudies.Asaresult,theFraunhofer

institutesarenotonlypartnerstotechnologicaldevelopment,

butalsoacontinuoussourceofnewtalentinthefieldsof

coatingtechnologyandphotonics.

Core competencies of the group

TheFraunhoferinstitutes’competenciesarecoordinated

toensurethatresearchcanbequicklyandflexiblyadapted

totherequirementsofthevariousfieldsofapplication:

• Lasermanufacturing

• Beamsources

• Metrology

•Medicineandlifesciences

• Materials technology

• Opticalsystemsandopticsmanufacturing

• Micro- and nanotechnologies

• Thin-filmtechnology

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Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering

and Thin Films IST

AsaninnovativeR&DpartnertheFraunhoferISToffers

completesolutionsinsurfaceengineeringwhicharedeveloped

incooperationwithcustomersfromindustryandresearch.

TheIST’s»product«isthesurface,optimizedbymodification,

patterning,and/orcoatingforapplicationsinthebusiness

unitsmechanicalengineering,toolsandautomotivetechno-

logy,aerospace,energyandelectronics,optics,andalso

lifescienceandecology.Theextensiveexperienceofthe

FraunhoferISTwiththin-filmdepositionandfilmapplications

iscomplementedbyexcellentcapabilitiesinsurfaceanalysis

andinsimulatingvacuum-basedprocesses.

www.ist.fraunhofer.de/en

Fraunhofer Institute for Material

and Beam Technology IWS

TheFraunhoferIWSisknownforitsinnovationsinthe

businessunitsjoiningandcuttingaswellasinthesurfaceand

coatingtechnology.Acrossallbusinessunitsourinterdisciplinary

topicsincludeenergystoragesystems,energyefficiency,

additivemanufacturing,lightweightconstructionandbigdata.

Ourspecialfeatureistheexpertiseofourscientistsincom-

biningtheprofoundknow-howinmaterialsengineeringwith

theextensiveexperienceindevelopingsystemtechnologies.

Everyyear,numeroussolutionswithregardtolasermaterial

processingandcoatingtechnologyhavebeendevelopedand

havefoundtheirwayintoindustrialapplications.

www.iws.fraunhofer.de/en

Contact – Fraunhofer Group for Light & Surfaces

Prof.ReinhartPoprawe(Chairman)

Steinbachstraße15

52074Aachen,Germany

reinhart.poprawe@ilt.fraunhofer.de

Dr.ArnoldGillner(ManagingDirector)

Steinbachstraße15

52074Aachen,Germany

arnold.gillner@ilt.fraunhofer.de

www.light-and-surfaces.fraunhofer.de/en

THE INSTITUTES

Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics,

Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP

TheFraunhoferFEPworksoninnovativesolutionsinthefields

ofvacuumcoating,surfacetreatmentaswellasorganicsemi-

conductors.Thecorecompetencieselectronbeamtechnology,

sputtering,plasma-activateddepositionandhigh-ratePECVD

aswellastechnologiesfororganicelectronicsandIC/system

designprovideabasisfortheseactivities.FraunhoferFEP

continuouslyenhancesthemandmakesthemavailabletoa

widerangeofindustries:mechanicalengineering,transport,

biomedicalengineering,architectureandpreservation,

packaging,environmentandenergy,optics,sensortechnology

andelectronicsaswellasagriculture.

www.fep.fraunhofer.de/en

Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Withmorethan400employeestheFraunhoferILTdevelops

innovativelaserbeamsources,lasertechnologies,andlaser

systemsforitspartnersfromtheindustry.Ourtechnology

areascoverthefollowingtopics:laserandoptics,medical

technologyandbiophotonics,lasermeasurementtechnology

andlasermaterialprocessing.Thisincludeslasercutting,

caving,drilling,weldingandsolderingaswellassurface

treatment,microprocessingandadditivemanufacturing.

Furthermore,theFraunhoferILTisengagedinlaserplant

technology,processcontrol,modelingaswellasinthe

entiresystemtechnology.

www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/en

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics

and Precision Engineering IOF

TheFraunhoferIOFdevelopsinnovativeopticalsystems

tocontrollightfromthegenerationtotheapplication.

Ourservicerangecoverstheentirephotonicprocesschain

fromopto-mechanicalandopto-electricalsystemdesignto

themanufacturingofcustomizedsolutionsandprototypes.

TheinstituteworksinthefivebusinessfieldsofOptical

ComponentsandSystems,PrecisionEngineeringComponents

andSystems,FunctionalSurfacesandLayers,PhotonicSensors

andMeasuringSystemsandLaserTechnology.

www.iof.fraunhofer.de/en

Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement

Techniques IPM

TheFraunhoferIPMdevelopstailor-mademeasuring

techniques,systemsandmaterialsforindustry.Inthisway

weenableourcustomerstominimizetheiruseofenergy

andresourceswhileatthesametimemaximizingqualityand

reliability.FraunhoferIPMmakesprocessesmoreecologicaland

atthesametimemoreeconomical.Manyyearsofexperience

withopticaltechnologiesandfunctionalmaterialsformthe

basisforhigh-techsolutionsinthefieldsofproductioncontrol,

materialscharacterizationandtesting,objectandshape

detection,gasandprocesstechnologyaswellasfunctional

materialsandsystems.

www.ipm.fraunhofer.de/en

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andfatiguebehavior.Forthis,FraunhoferIWSand

FraunhoferILThaveaccesstomoderntestingequipment

usedinmetallography,lightandelectronmicroscopy,

andmicroanalytics.

TRIBOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

Oneparticularbranchofthememberinstitutes’research

workisdevotedtotribologicalcoatingsystemsandsurfaces

designedtoincreasewearresistanceinhighlyloadedsystems.

Thisinvolvesdevelopingwear-resistantcoatingsaswellas

suitablepost-machiningandfunctionalizationtechniquesthat

drawontheintrinsicpropertiesoftherespectivematerial.In

thefieldoftribologicalsystems,FraunhoferISTisworkingon

theoveralloptimizationofsystemsthataresubjecttowear

orfrictionthroughtheuseofappropriatethin-filmsystems.

Surfacescanbeindividuallydesigneddependingonthe

material,manufacturinghistoryandoperatingconditions,

andtestedusingimpacttestersorhigh-temperatureorrolling

tribometers.

FraunhoferILTalsohasindividualsurfacefunctionalization

technologiesatitsdisposal,suchasheattreatment,coating

andhigh-resolutionmicrostructuring,allofwhichcanimprove

wearresistanceorreducefriction.FraunhoferIWShasalso

developeditsextremelywear-resistantandlow-friction

Diamor®coatings,whicharemadeoftetrahedralamorphous

carbon(ta-C).Thismakesthemidealasprotectivecoatings

fortools,partsandcomponentsthatoperateinlubricatedand

non-lubricatedenvironments.Inadditiontothistechnology,

FraunhoferIWSalsosuppliestherequiredcoatingsources

andfacilities,aswellasits»LAwave«laser-acoustictestsystem

forqualityassuranceandcoatoptimization.

PROCESS-ADAPTED MATERIALS

FraunhoferILTdevelopsinnovative,functionalacrylic,epoxy,

andthiol-ene-basedphotopolymersthatallowforselective

lightcuringinthemicrometerandsubmicrometerrange.

Materialsaredevelopedsystematicallywithacloseeyeonthe

manufacturingprocessesused.Thisallowsfortheprocessing

ofvariouspolymersusingadaptedlaserbeamsources(λ =

266nm-1µm)orincoherentLEDprojections(spatiallight

modulation–SLM),andforthegenerationofhigh-resolution

structures(2Dor3D)inlinewiththedesiredfunctionofthe

product.Thematerialsdevelopmentprocessalsotakesparti-

cularpropertiesintoaccount,suchasamaterial’smechanical,

optical(hightransparencyandrefractivepower),electrical,

chemicalandbiological(biocompatibility)properties.

1 Thermoelectric high-temperature modules.

2 DLC-coated segment of a tire mold.

2 Coating of transmission components

using Diamor®-coatings.

MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

Materials technology and the characterization of the

underlying conditions that goes along with it play a critical

role in a manufacturing technique’s success. Fortunately,

the member institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Light

& Surfaces have access to a range of suitable metrological

and material investigation methods. To characterize

materials and processing outcomes, researchers employ,

for instance, chemical material analysis using X-ray,

secondary ion mass and photoelectron spectroscopy,

and X-ray fluorescence analysis. The institutes also have

access to a broad array of materials developments,

including new thermoelectric materials used for energy

harvesting, as well as biocompatible materials manu-

factured using additive techniques. In addition to this

materials testing, the group also conducts functional

component testing that serves to determine mechanical

parameters and identify characteristic curves for

the evaluation of endurance and material fatigue.

Applications

• Functionalmaterials

•Materialscharacterization

• Tribologicalsystems

• Process-adaptedmaterials

FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

FraunhoferIOFdevelopsopticalmaterialsthatdrawonits

extensiveexperienceinopticalsystemsandintheanalysis

andidentificationofsuitablehigh-transparencyglassesand

thermoplasticsformicro-opticcomponents.Nanostructuring

techniques,forinstance,allowfortheproductionofnew

materialsforuseinopticsandphotonics,suchasphotonic

crystalsandmetamaterials.FraunhoferIPMisalsoactivein

thedevelopmentofnewmaterials.Inadditiontoworkon

nonlinearopticalmaterials,italsodevelopsandinvestigates

thermoelectric,magnetocaloricandelectrocaloricmaterials.

Thermoelectricmaterialscangenerateelectricityfromheat.

Magnetocaloricandelectrocaloricmaterials,ontheother

hand,canbeusedtodevelopenergy-efficientcoolingsystems

thatworkwithoutcoolants

MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION

Tocharacterizethinfilms,FraunhoferIST,FraunhoferIWSand

FraunhoferFEPhaveawidearrayofmaterialscharacterization

techniquesattheirdisposal,suchasforchemicalmaterial

analysis(spatiallyresolved,depthresolved,near-surfaceor

averaged).ThesetechniquesincludeX-rayspectroscopy(EDX/

WDX/EPMA),secondaryionmassspectroscopy(SIMS),

photoelectronspectroscopy(XPS)andX-rayfluorescence

analysis(RFA/XRF).Crystallinematerialscanalsobeexamined

usingX-raydiffraction(XRD).Thenthereisalsoarange

ofapplication-specifictestingtechniquesforcharacterizing

materialpropertiessuchashardness,friction,wear,corrosion

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NANOSTRUCTURING

Functionalsurfacesoftenrequirestructuresthatenhancethe

material’sintrinsicpropertiesorthatareofascalethatcreates

aspecialphysicaloropticaleffect.Thiscallsforreproducible

nanostructuresthatcanberapidlygeneratedusingpulsed

laserlight.

Theuseoflaserablationtechniquesenablesresearchersto

producehigh-resolutionsurfacestructures,andatechnique

knownasmultibeaminterferencemakesitpossibletoapply

periodicstructuresinthe100-1000nmrangetocompo-

nents.Specialopticsallowaspecificperiodandnanomodeto

beselected,whichinturn,duetotheinterferenceoccuringon

thesurfaces,enablescertaininterferencecolorstobeapplied

tocomponentsandtools.Thankstoreplicationprocesses,

thesecanbecost-effectivelytransferredtolarge-scale

components.Furthermore,self-organizationeffectsarising

fromultrafastlaserprocessingcanbeharnessedtoenable

nanostructuringinthe100-500nmrange.Here,functional

structuresareproducedonmetalsandcanthenbetransferred

tometallicfilmsandpolymersusinginjectionmoldingor

embossingprocesses.

IN-VOLUME MODIFICATION

Usinghighlyfocused,ultrafastlasersystemsinthefemto-

-secondrange,FraunhoferILTofferstechnologythatcan

locallymodifytransparentmaterialssuchasglass,sapphire

andothertransparentceramics.Themultiphotonprocesses

requiredforthisareinducedonlyathighintensities,sothe

materialisalteredonlyinthefocalvolume.Beamdeflection

withnanometeraccuracyensuresthatany3Dgeometry

canbebuiltuplayerbylayerintheworkpiecevolume.

NANOMATERIALS

FraunhoferIWSdevelopsprototypesofreactorsforsurface

treatment,includingprecisioncleaning,functionalization

andetching,andfortheproductionofoxideandnon-oxide

coatings,nanoparticles,carbonnanotubes(CNT)andcarbon

fibers.Itusesmagnetronandionbeamsputterdepositionto

applynanometersingle-andmultilayercoatingsforEUVand

X-rayoptics.Techniquessuchaspulsedlaserdepositionare

alsoused.Inadditiontodevelopingandmanufacturingprecision

coatings,FraunhoferIWShasmanyyearsofexperiencein

characterizingandmodelingnanometerlayers.

1 Efficient manufacture of functional

surfaces through the combination

of nano- and picosecond pulses.

2 A laser-structured starry sky pattern

on a watch dial.

3 Microstructures in glass created

by Selective Laser Etching.

MICRO- AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES

The member institutes possess a wide range of structu-

ring methods and techniques for generating micro- and

nanostructures. In addition to traditional lithographic

techniques, they also use nanosecond, picosecond and

femtosecond lasers for their microstructuring processes.

As these processes are nearly athermal, they open up a

wide range of applications across a variety of industrial

sectors. Femto- and picosecond lasers offer unique pro-

perties, including evaporation-dominated material abla-

tion and minimal heat input into workpieces, making it

possible to create micro- and nanostructures on virtually

any surface. The member institutes’ extensive range of

state-of-the-art equipment and in-depth understanding

of the field enables them to conduct applied research

into laser microprocessing and precision laser processing

across the domains of mechanical and plant engineering,

vehicle and equipment engineering, and biotechnology

and medical devices.

Applications

•Microstructuring

• Nanostructuring

• In-volumemodification

• Nanomaterials

MICROSTRUCTURING

FraunhoferILTandFraunhoferIOFdevelopultrafastlaser

systemsthatachieveexcellentbeamqualitycoupledwith

rapidprocessingtimes.Thesesystemsareidealforuse

inthehigh-precisionstructuringofavarietyofmaterials,

particularlymetals,glasses,semiconductorsandbiological

tissue.FraunhoferIOFalsousesphotolithography,laserand

electronbeamlithographyandreactiveionetchingtoproduce

andcharacterizefunctionalsurfacesandcomponents,such

ashigh-end,ultra-high-resolutionmicro-andnano-optical

elements.FraunhoferISTdevelopsthin-filmsensorsthat

measureforceandtemperatureinhigh-loadenvironments;

thesensorsareapplieddirectlytothetoolorcomponentand

arestructuredusinglaseroropticallithography.Fraunhofer

IPMmanufacturessensorsusingbulkorhotplatetechnologies,

etchingstructuresofjustafewmicrometersindepthusingRIE

orICPetchingsystemsandwetchemicaletchingprocesses.

FraunhoferFEPhasextensiveexperienceintheprocessingof

organicsemiconductormaterials,whichareusedtodevelop

organiclight-emittingdiodes(OLEDs)andOLEDmicrodisplays

bymeansofcoatingandmicrostructuringwithelectronbeam

technology.

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FraunhoferISThasanumberofCVDtechniquesatits

disposal,includingthehotwireCVDprocess.Forcoating

largeareasusingtemperature-sensitivematerials,thePECVD

techniqueisanexcellentchoice.PECVDusesaplasmato

depositcoatingsinagaseousstate,allowing,forexample,for

theapplicationofpermeation-barriercoatings,opticallayers

orlayersystemstoplasticfilms.Thelayerpropertiescanbe

variedrelativelysimplybyadaptingtheplasmaexcitationand

changingthecompositionoftheprocessgas.PECVDcoating

isoneofFraunhoferFEP’scoretechnologies,whileFraunhofer

ISTuseswet-chemicalcoatingtechniquessuchasatmospheric

pressureinanaqueousenvironmentforthedepositionofmetals.

SPUTTERING PROCESSES

Memberinstitutesdevelopsputteringprocessestoefficiently

applylayersandmultilayersystemstolargesurfacesinavacuum

environment.Theresultisprecisiondepositionofthinelectrical

andopticalfunctionallayersonanindustrialscale.Fraunhofer

ISTemploysmagnetronsputteringandthehollowcathode

techniqueforawiderangeofcoatings.AtFraunhoferIOF,mag-

netronsputteringisusedonprecisionopticstomeetincreasing

requirementsforthequalityandhomogeneityofthecoatings

onlarge-scaleoptics.Conventionalsputteringequipmentis

alsousedforthedepositionofEUV/X-raycoatingsystemson

substrateswithdiametersofupto660mm.FraunhoferFEP

specializesinpulsedmagnetronsputtering(PMS)andregulating

reactivesputteringprocesses.Oxides,nitridesandoxynitridescan

beusedalongsidemetalsasdepositionmaterials.Inaddition,

thedualmagnetronsputteringsystem(DMS)makesitpossible

toapplyelectricallyhighlyinsulatingmaterials.

FraunhoferIWSusesmagnetronandionbeamsputter

depositionaswellaspulsedlaserdepositiontoapplynanometer

single-andmultilayercoatingsforEUVandX-rayoptics.

COATING DESIGN AND THIN-FILM MODIFICATION

Thankstoitsflexibilityinbothdurationandlocation,thelaser

istheidealtoolwithwhichtomodifythinfilmsbycrystallizing,

sinteringormeltingthem.Particularlyonthermallysensitive

substratessuchasglass,plasticsandhardenedsteels,thelow

thermalloadoflaserradiationonthesubstrateascompared

withconventionalprocessescanoftenbethekeytoproducing

functionallayers.Furthermore,localizedtreatmentoflayers

opensupnewpossibilitiesinthedesignofsurfaceproperties,

suchasfunctionalandmultimaterialcoatingsystems,tribolo-

gicallayersandnano-andmicroparticulatelayers.

1 Electroluminescent film

as a transparent electrode.

2 Detailed view of a sensor structure.

3 Hydrophilic, hydrophobic structured surface.

THIN-FILM TECHNOLOGY

Developing nanostructured materials that have a defined

surface chemistry plays a critical role in optimizing

surface properties – properties that are vital to a wide

range of materials and substances once they are in

use, such as scratch resistance. Researchers draw on a

variety of coating treatments, including physical vapor

deposition (PVD), sputter coating and chemical vapor

deposition (CVD), as well as post-treatment processes,

to produce a wide range of coatings and coating

systems. These are used to provide functional coating,

multimaterial coating systems for sensors, electronics

and optics, and wear- and corrosion-protection coatings

for tools and components. The member institutes have

numerous processes, plants and clean rooms at their dis-

posal, allowing them to combine wet-chemical coating

treatments with laser processing techniques.

Applications

• PVDcoating

• CVDandelectrochemicalcoating

• Sputteringprocesses

• Coatingdesignandthin-filmmodification

PVD COATING

ThememberinstitutesoftheFraunhoferGroupforLight&

Surfaceshaveawiderangeofcoatingtechniquesattheirdis-

posal.PVDcoatingisoneofthekeytechnologiesandisused

byFraunhoferISTandFraunhoferFEPtomanufactureavariety

ofcoatings–forinstanceforcomponentsandsmallparts.This

techniqueallowsscientiststoapplyhigh-gradetribologicaland

functionallayersranginginthicknessfromafewnanometers

toafewmicrometers.FraunhoferIWSoffersvariousprocesses

forthispurpose,fromhigh-ratedepositiontohighlyactivated

plasmaprocessesandcombinationsofthese.

CVD AND ELECTRO- CHEMICAL COATING

Thememberinstitutesalsodevelopgas-andliquid-based

coatingprocessesdesignedforlarge-areacoatingsbasedon

newmaterials.Thefocushereisontransparent,functional

thinfilmsandporouscarbonlayersforelectricalenergy

storage.FraunhoferIOFemploysatomiclayerdeposition(ALD)

toproduceinnovative,optimizedopticalnanostructures.

Scientistsalsousehigh-vacuumevaporationsystemswith

resistanceandelectronbeamvaporizersorplasmaionsources

forvariouscoatingapplications,suchasthermalevaporation

oforganiccompounds.

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ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE PLASMA PROCESSES

Atmosphericpressureplasmaprocessesareusedinindustry

toactivateandcleansurfaces.Here,FraunhoferISTdevelops

new,customer-orientedtechniquesandplasmasourcesthat

makeitpossibletomodifyorcoatdifferentsurfaceson3D

substrates.Areasofapplicationincludemicrosystemstech-

nology,medicaldevices,thepackagingandelectronicgoods

industry,andtheautomotiveandaerospaceindustries.By

employingsuitablegasesandreagents,atmosphericpressure

plasmascanalsobeusedtochemicallyfunctionalizesurfaces

usingreactivegroups,andthusoptimizeadhesion.Further-

more,theinstitutedevelopsmethodsthatusemicroplasmas

toenabletargetedlocalmodificationofsurfacesonascale

oflessthan10μm;thiscanbeused,forexample,toadjust

thedesiredsurfaceenergy.FraunhoferIWSalsodevelops

plasma-assistedprocessesatatmosphericpressuretoenable

cleaning,activationandetchingoflarge-areasurfaces.With

these,high-gradefunctionallayerscanbeappliedwithout

theuseofexpensivevacuumequipment,makingitfeasible

toruncontinuouscoatingprocessesontemperature-sensitive

materialsaswellasonslightlycurvedsubstratesofdifferent

thicknesses.

PLASMA PROCESSES

Atmosphericpressureplasmaprocessesarecommonlyused

intheindustrytocleansurfacesandtoactivatepolymerfilms,

woodandwoodcompositestoimprovetheirwettability.

FraunhoferISTcontinuouslyrefinestechnologiesthatallow

fortargetedinsertionoffunctionalgroupsthroughsuitable

processcontrol.Asaresult,theadhesionoflacquersand

adhesivesissignificantlyimproved,asthesurfaceisadapted

tothereactivelayersystem.Inthisway,atmosphericplasma

processescanbeusedtoproducebarriercoatingsonflexible

substrates,forexampletopreventPVCplasticizersfrom

migrating.Theseprocessescanbeusedtocoatnotjustplastic

filmsandglasssubstrates,butalsotextiles,poroussubstrates

andobjectswith3Dgeometries.Plasma-activatedhigh-rate

depositionandplasma-enhancedchemicalvapordeposition

(PECVD),anestablishedtechniqueforapplyingsilicon-based

coatingsforavarietyofapplications,arebothcoretechno-

logiesatFraunhoferFEP.

1 »Disk-Jet – DBD« dielectric barrier

surface-discharge plasma source.

2 A direct, dielectrically impeded plasma

beam discharged onto glass.

3 Atmospheric pressure plasma

treatment of a microtiter plate.

PLASMA TECHNOLOGY

Plasma technology is an important tool in the production,

modification and functionalization of coatings and

surfaces. The member institutes of the Fraunhofer Group

for Light & Surfaces use this technology to produce special

layer functions and to modify laser-produced layers.

By applying excitation techniques in the gas phase,

they are able to selectively modify layer compositions

and surface conditions and adapt them to the respective

application, for example for cleaning surfaces or

activating polymer films, wood and wood composites.

Coating processes performed under atmospheric

pressure employ additional plasma processes to regulate

wettability and surface tension. These can be selectively

adjusted to create hydrophilic, hydrophobic and even

super-hydrophobic surfaces. Plasma processes are also

used for medical applications and to alter material

properties. Here, the high electron energy of the

plasmas and the resulting UV radiation are used to

activate or deactivate surfaces.

Applications

• Plasmasources

• Atmosphericpressureplasmaprocesses

• Plasmaprocesses

PLASMA SOURCES

Plasmaactivationduringvaporizationboostsparticleenergy,

allowingforefficientcoatingoverlargeareasandimpacting

positivelyonbondformation.Itrequirespowerfulsources

thatareadaptedforbothhighcoatingspeedandlarge-area

coating.FraunhoferFEPdevelopsprocessestailoredtothis

applicationbycombininghigh-ratedepositionwithdifferently

guidedarcdischarges(SADandHADprocess).FraunhoferIWS

developslarge-scaleatmosphericpressureplasmaprocesses

sourcestailoredtocustomers’specificapplications.The»LAR-

GE«plasmasourceoftheinstituteinDresdenisnotableforits

useofalargenumberofprocessgases,aswellasacompact

designthatmakesiteasytointegrateintoinlineorrobot-

controlledprocesses.The»Disk-Jet«plasmasourcedeveloped

atFraunhoferISToperatesontheprincipleofdielectricbarrier

surfacedischarge,enablingtreatmentoftemperature-sensitive

substratesoverlargeareaswhileensuringcontouraccuracy

anddepth.

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ELECTRON BEAM LITHOGRAPHY

Thankstoitssmallspotsizesofjustafewnanometers,electron

beamlithographyisanidealtoolforuseinnanotechnology.

FraunhoferIOFhasmanyyearsofexpertiseingenerating

sophisticatedopticalmicro-andnanostructures.Thekey

technologyitusesforthisiselectronbeamlithography.The

institute’stechnologicalequipmentenablesittoefficiently

generateopticalmicro-andnanostructuresonsurfacesup

to300mminsizewiththehighestprecisionandresolution.

MATERIALS MODIFICATION

Quiteasidefromthegenerallyhighspatialresolutionelectron-

beamprocessingfacilitates,thehighenergyandparticulate

natureofthistechniqueopensupfurtherpossibilitiesin

materialsprocessing.FraunhoferFEPuseselectronbeamsto

achievecontrolledchemicalandbiologicaleffectsonmaterial

surfaces.Inthecaseofseeddressing–awell-established

marketmethod–low-energyacceleratedelectronsareused

todestroytheDNAofharmfulpests.Low-energyaccelerated

electronscanalsobeusedtosterilizeanddisinfectsurfacesof

medicalproducts(implants,devices),packaging,andfoodand

animalfeed.

Thetechnologyisnon-destructiveandenvironmentally

friendly,enablingevensensitivematerialsandproductsto

bedisinfectedandsterilizedwithinsecondstomilliseconds.

Thesamplescanbeprocessedunderatmosphericpressure

andretaintheirdimensionalstabilityaswellastheirproduct-

specificproperties.Theelectronbeamcanalsosterilizethe

productsurfacethroughanypackaging,whichsimplifies

sterilizationprocessesconsiderably.Duringthecoating

process,non-thermalelectronbeamtechnologyisused

toapplysurfacemorphologicalandenergycharacteristics

thatcounteractbacterialadhesion,preventinggermsfrom

accumulatingonthesurfaceinthefirstplace.

Asidefromthis,electronbeammodificationofplasticsserves

primarilytoimprovesurfaceadhesion.Intheprintingindustry

inparticular,electronbeamtreatmentisofcriticalimportance

inachievingoptimumadhesionwhenapplyinginks,compound-

ingpolymergranulesorapplyingbarriercoatingsforany

numberofapplicationsonplasticfilms.

1 A precision positioning system

for electron beam applications.

2 A testing facility for 3D coating

using pulsed magnetron sputtering.

3 Glass with anti-reflection coating.

ELECTRON BEAM TECHNOLOGY

Electron beam technology is particularly suited to high

coating rates and, because it requires a vacuum, is the

ideal tool for large-area film coating processes. The

member institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Light

& Surfaces dedicate themselves to the development of

technologies and processes for surface refinement and

for organic electronics. Electron beam technology is

used to solve a variety of industrial surface engineering

problems. The group institutes have numerous industrial

plants at their disposal for coating large surfaces in

batch systems, in-line or in roll-to-roll processes, and

electron-beam systems for the efficient treatment of

surfaces. For specific applications in organic electronics,

Fraunhofer FEP also has several clean rooms with

research and development lines. These facilities enable

the institute to refine and coat flat substrates made of

glass, plastic or metal; flexible surfaces such as metallic

strips, flexible glass and plastic films; and even three-

dimensional components and silicon wafers.

Applications

• Electronbeamsources

• Electronbeamcoating

• Electronbeamlithography

•Materialsmodification

ELECTRON BEAM SOURCES

FraunhoferFEPdevelopselectronbeamsourcesforarange

ofapplicationsandrequirements,fromdevelopingtechnology

andprocessestoprovidingcompletepackagesolutions.In

additiontotechnologytransferandprocesscommissioningin

production,FraunhoferFEPalsooffersthefollowingservices:

equippingsystemswithkeycomponents(aswellasretrofitting

existingsystems);scalingprocessesandtechnologiesforindus-

trialfacilities;creatingcompletepackagesolutionsincluding

beamcontrol,arcprotectioncircuitry,andpower,beamand

sweepgenerators;adaptingelectronbeamsourcestospecific

customerrequirements;developingspecialsolutions;and

providingandintegratingoptionaladditionalcomponents.

ELECTRON BEAM COATING

FraunhoferFEPdevelopstechnologiesandprocessesforsur-

facerefinementandorganicelectronics.Theinstituteemploys

coretechnologiessuchassputtering,high-ratePECVDand

electronbeamtechnologytosolvediverseindustrialproblems

insurfaceengineering.Alongsidematerialssuchasglass,

plasticandmetal,ultra-thinglass,alsoknownasflexibleglass,

isarelativelynewmaterialthatisbeingconsideredasasub-

strate,withitsexcellentsurfacepropertiesandlowsubstrate

roughness.Theinstituteisinvestigatingbothsheet-to-sheet

androll-to-rolldepositionprocessestoenabletheuseof

ultra-thinglassinhigh-techdevices.

2 31

Contact

Prof.ReinhartPoprawe(Chairman)

Steinbachstraße15

52074Aachen,Germany

reinhart.poprawe@ilt.fraunhofer.de

Dr.ArnoldGillner(ManagingDirector)

Steinbachstraße15

52074Aachen,Germany

arnold.gillner@ilt.fraunhofer.de

www.light-and-surfaces.fraunhofer.de/en

Subject to alterations in specifications and other technical information. 04/2018.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

TheFraunhofer-Gesellschaftistheleadingorganizationfor

appliedresearchinEurope.Itsresearchactivitiesareconducted

by72institutesandresearchunitsatlocationsthroughout

Germany.TheFraunhofer-Gesellschaftemploysastaffof

morethan25,000,whoworkwithanannualresearchbudget

totaling2.3billioneuros.Ofthissum,almost2billioneuros

isgeneratedthroughcontractresearch.Around70percent

oftheFraunhofer-Gesellschaft’scontractresearchrevenue

isderivedfromcontractswithindustryandfrompublicly

financedresearchprojects.Internationalcollaborationswith

excellentresearchpartnersandinnovativecompaniesaround

theworldensuredirectaccesstoregionsofthegreatest

importancetopresentandfuturescientificprogressand

economicdevelopment.

www.fraunhofer.de/en