Responsable: José Cotrino Bautista
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: Plan Nacional del 2007
Referencia: MAT2007-65764
Fecha de Inicio: 01-10-2007
Fecha de Finalización: 03-08-2010

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia

Equipo:

• Investigadores:
  • Miguel Acedo García
  • Ángel Barranco Quero
  • Iwona Blaszczyk-Lezak
  • Juan Pedro Espinós Manzorro
  • Fabián Frutos Rayego
  • Carlos Lao Moreno
  • Víctor Rico Gavira
  • Agustín Rodríguez González-Elipe
  • Francisco Yubero Valencia
• Becarios:
  • Francisco Javier Aparicio Rebollo

Contratados:

• Investigadores:
  • María Alcaire Martín
  • Francisco Javier Aparicio Rebollo
  • Manuel Jesús Macías Montero

Resumen del proyecto:

This project aims at the development of a new family of oxide thin films optically active that are able to develop a series of properties useful for several photo-functional applications in fields like optics, solar energy recovery or sensors. 

Oxide thin films (TiO2, SiO2, ZnO) with very well controlled microstructure will be prepared by different methods (PVD, PECVD and atmospheric pressure plasmas) and modified by infiltration with optically active components (dyes and metal particles) or, for TiO2 and ZnO, by doping with some anions (i.e., nitrogen, fluor or carbon) suitable to make these oxide semiconductors active to the visible light of the electromagnetic spectrum. The photo-functional properties of the prepared thin film materials will be tested for their applications as photochromic coatings, optical gas sensors, plasmon resonant behaviour, films with light-controlled wetting properties and photoelectrochemical cells.
A strict control of the micro and nano-structure of the thin films will be achieved by using specific strategies for their growth. Analysis of the growing mechanisms leading to the different micro/nano-structures by means of the concepts of the Dynamic Scale Theory will permit a tailored synthesis of the host thin films. Similarly, the plasma conditions will be conveniently monitored and modelled to get a full description of the growing mechanisms and, in its case, be able to modify it if required for the desired applications.