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Our Projects (page 2)

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Cathodic Vacuum Arc Plasma Source

Cathodic vacuum arc plasma source that we have in our facility was constructed by our Ph.D. student, supervised by an expert in this field like Dr.André Anders.  The plasma source consists of a cathode, an anode, a pulse-forming network, a HV power supply (optional), and a macroparticle filter.  In our facility an additional cathodic arc source with a macroparticle filter were also constructed to form a duo filtered cathodic vacuum arc plasma source.  Various kinds of conductive material can be used as cathodes.  Two types of cathodes can be used at the same time to form a compound of two materials.  The source can also be operated under several types of gas atmosphere.  These allow us to produce diverse types of thin film.   

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Laboratory

We have two computerized standard test stations, which can test a single cell of active area as small as 1 cm2 up to a stack cell of power 2 kW.  We are developing new techniques and materials, for example, coating of porous carbon film directly on the membrane, coating bipolar plate with corrosion-resistive films, in order to achieve a low-price, good performance fuel cell.  We are able to design and construct fuel cell fixture in our laboratory.  We have manufactured as small as 1-cm2 active area single cell up to 1 kW stack fuel cell.

  

150-kV Non-mass-analyzed High-current Ion Implanter (CMU2)

The development of this ion implanter was started with installation and test of its duoplasmatron ion source in 1993, followed by continuous upgrading. This completely homemade machine is equipped with the high-current duoplasmatron ion source, a 150-kV high-voltage generator, a 150-kV accelerating tube, a magnetic beam scanner, a 0.2-m3 target chamber and two diffusion pumps. As a non-mass-analyzed ion implanter, it can produce high beam current (up to mA). The beam focusing/defocusing cooperated with beam scanning is able to implant target with homogeneous large-area (10x10 cm2) beams. Inside the target chamber, there is a 2-D rotatable, vertically translatable and water-cooled sample station. The ion implanter has been our main working horse for industrial ion implantation and biotechnological application.

Built by: ourselves
Start of operation: around 1998    
Terminal voltage: 150 kV
Beam current: order of mA in maximum
Ion source: duoplasmatron
Kinds of ions: gaseous ions, particularly nitrogen and argon

Ion Beam Analysis

Ion beam analysis (IBA) has been our key project since the 1.7-MV Tandetron accelerator was installed in the laboratory. Currently the IBA techniques developed in the laboratory include Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), RBS/Channeling, Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Ionoluminescence (IL). All of these analyses are operated within one target chamber, where sophisticate goniometric sample holder, detectors and secondary electron shower/suppressor are installed. A series of softwares have also been self-developed accordingly to serve each IBA technique for data analysis. In addition to conventional analysis, we have applied IBA to analyze Zn-oxide nanofilms, ion-beam-synthesized Si-carbide nanolayer, local cereal products, local gemstones, local forensic samples and environmental dust samples, etc. Besides the MeV IBA techniques, we have also developed medium-energy IBA facilities and techniques. Our 14-MeV pulsed neutron generator has been modified into a 300-kV pulsed beam line for time-of-flight (TOF) RBS analysis, which can provide increased details of analyzed surface. With the versatile IBA techniques, the laboratory has become the unique IBA center in Thailand and the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) region as well.
 

Surface Modification of Materials by Combined Ion Beam, Plasma and Physical Deposition Treatments

The project aims to develop combined ion beam, plasma and physical deposition treatment techniques for material surface modification to overcome some limitations of ion beam implantation. Conventional ion implantation is a line-of-sight process with a limited concentration of modifying elements introduced. We have constructed by ourselves plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII&D), cathodic vacuum arc deposition (CVAD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) facilities. Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) films which have superior mechanical and chemical properties have been deposited on various substrates such as stainless steel, aluminium, glass and magnet for applications in fuel cell, plasma source, eye glasses mold and orthodontics, respectively. Carbon films with nanofibers and nanoislands have been deposited on polymer membranes and mixed C-Mo films have also deposited on silicon or investigation on improving the fuel cell performance. The technique is very promising and has been paid increasing attention from local industries.    


  

Ion Beam Nanotechnology

Ion beam nanotechnology (IBNT) has been one of the research focuses of the laboratory. Not only is ion beam itself intrinsically a nanotechnology as it works in nano-scale of materials when the ion energy is appropriately controlled, but also ion beam can be applied to process material surface in a way of either top-down or bottom-up for nanostructure formation. Our IBNT project was motivated by the visit of Prof. Dr. Geoffrey W. Shuy, ITRI, Taiwan in late 1990s and initiated with carbon ion implantation in WC-Co cermet to achieve surface nanostructure which resulted in ultra-low friction coefficient. This work has led to two US patents and several international publications. In the following years, along with rapid development of nanotechnology and nanomaterials, the research topics have been expended to include ion beam synthesis of nanocrystalline materials such as SiC, ion beam and plasma deposition of nanofilms such as DLC coatings, ion beam lithography of micro/nanopatterns, ion beam and plasma induced surface nanostructures such as nanofibers and nanoislands, ion beam nanoanalysis, and ion beam nanobiotechnology.    

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Ion Beam Modification of Metal and Alloys

Since the establishment of the ion beam research unit of the laboratory in 1993, the project of ion beam modification of metal and alloys has been our traditional research emphasis. For the purpose, ion implanters have been built and installed, including a 150-kV mass-analyzed heavy ion implanter, a 150-kV non-mass-analyzed high-current ion implanter, a 220-kV Varian ion implanter, a 30-kV plasma immersion ion implanter, and a 30-kV MEVVA source ion implanter. Various ion species including N, C, O, Ar, Ne, B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mg, etc. have been used for ion implantation. The metal and alloy targets have included local low-carbon steel, tool steel, high speed steel, stainless steel, Al, Ti-Al, magnet, etc. The modifications have been focused on improving the material hardness, tribological properties such as wear resistance and friction coefficient, corrosion resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance. The laboratory has often cooperated with local industries and research sectors to provide required service. The research work in this direction has produced the largest number of publications and presentations of the laboratory. The project has been traditionally supported by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), and Chiang Mai University.   
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