Growth of Nanostructured and Functional Materials
Contact person: Verucchi Roberto
Pulsed Microplasma Cluster Source
   PER MAGGIORI INFORMAZIONI: Tullio Toccoli - +39 0461 314827 - tullio.toccolii@imem.cnr.it

 

PMCS technique is based on a pulsed source (see figure) and an electrical discharge between two metallic electrodes. The gas entering in the source chamber is ionized for the discharge spattering the cathode. There is the formation of a plasma containing the material(s) of the cathode. The plasma is rapidly quenched by the entering gas causing a rapid condensation of the material with an initial cluster formation. Their size could be improved by the collision at the nozzle present at the source exit. The effective control of the cluster size is attainable acting on the operating parameters and by means of inertial aerodynamic separation effects. In the plasma it is possible obtain chemical reaction between the present species to modify the deposited materials respect to the electrode composition.

PMCS

This kind of source was used in the growth of thin films of memory forms alloy, in semiconductor oxides [1] and memristors [2], also showing very good neuronal biocompatibility [3].

[1]    A. M. Taurino, S. Capone, A. Boschetti, T. Toccoli, R. Verucchi, A. Pallaoro, P. Siciliano, S. Iannotta
Titanium dioxide thin films prepared by seeded supersonic beams for gas sensing applications
Sensor and Actuators B: Chemical, 100, (2004), 177

[2]    G. Baldi, M. Bosi, G. Giusti, G. Attolini, T. Berzina, C. Collini, L. Lorenzelli, R. Mosca, P. Nozar, J. S. Ponraj, T. Toccoli, R. Verucchi, S. Iannotta
Optimization of Synthesis Protocols to Control the Nanostructure and the Morphology of Metal Oxide Thin Films for Memristive Applications
AIP conference proceedings, 1648 (2015) 28002 1-4

[3]     Roncador, A.M. Jimenez-Garduño, L. Pasquardini, G. Giusti, N. Cornella, L. Lunelli, C. Potrich, R. Bartali, L. Aversa, R. Verucchi, M. Dalla Serra, S. Caponi, S. Iannotta, P. Macchi, C. Musio
Primary cortical neurons on PMCS TiO2 films towards bio-hybrid memristive device: A morpho-functional study
Biophysical Chemistry 229, 115–122 (2017)