Chemical Vapour Deposition and Nanoparticles Research Group

Overview of Research

The chemical vapour deposition and nanoparticles research group was established at NIBEC in 2006 and the team have considerable experience in the deposition of carbon and silicon based thin films. These include diamond, diamond like carbon (DLC), carbon nanotubes and nanorods, un-doped and in-situ doped amorphous carbon, nano-and polycrystalline silicon, silicon dioxide, phosphor-silicate glass (PSG), borophospho-silicate glass (BPSG) and titanium oxide coatings for various biomedical applications. The group make use of the various growth facilities at NIBEC including a state-of-the-art MWCVD system for the study of diamond, diamond like carbon and carbon nanotubes, along with an FVCA system, PECVD, and unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS).

Key Projects
Work is aimed at obtaining a better understanding of growth and film properties in order to tailor materials properties for specific applications. The work also aims to learn how to control growth at the molecular level, such that patterned substrates and novel surface chemistry may be used to grow well-defined target structures such as nanowires and nanotubes. The group works closely with the Biomedical Sciences Research Institute on bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation and enzyme-surface interactions. Currently, the group is diversifying its activities into science and applications of nanoparticles and their toxicological effects on cells and tissues.

Collaboration
The groups have developed collaborations with a number of leading institutions including Purdue University (US), University of Aviero (Portugal), University Roma Tor Vergata (Italy) and the recently formed Society of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The group also edits a number of journals including the International Journal of Nanomanufacturing and the International Journal of Molecular Engineering.