126A, Erou Iancu Nicolae street, 077190, Bucharest, ROMANIA
Tel:   +40-21-490.85.83; +40-21-490.82.12; +40-21-490.82.03; +40-21-490.84.12
Fax: +40-21-490.82.38; +40-21-490.85.82
PO-BOX 38-160, 023573 Bucharest, ROMANIA

Integration of smart materials [description of the field]

L6- Microphysical Characterisation and Simulation Laboratory

1. Mission

Research and development in the field of characterization methods for materials and processes at micro and nanometric scale. Application of high resolution surface investigation techniques to solve engineering problems at these scales, especially investigation of correlations between technological process parameters-structure and structure-properties order to obtain materials for specific applications.

2. Competence related to the field

• AFM and STM characterization of material surfaces (polymeric, biocompatible,etc). 3D surface topography recording and measurement (waviness, roughness, step heights, grains, particles etc)
• SEM  characterization of solid materials (metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, glasses), and phase identification in complex materials and composite crystals of advanced materials.
• AFM and SEM measurement of grain sizes in the nanometer scale in powders or nanostructured  materials.
• High-resolution patterning using Electron Beam Lithography ( 50nm minimum line width) in PMMA on silicon wafers
• Maskless direct e-beam writing of submicron and nanometer-size patterns on various types of substrates
• Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy image processing.

3. Key people

Adrian Miron Dinescu (adriand@imt.ro) received the M. Sc. (1993) degree in Physics from University of Bucharest. From 1993 -1997 he was Research Scientist at Research Institute for Electronic Components, ICCE Bucharest in the Optoelectronics Laboratory , from 1997 he is SeniorResearcher at the National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies (IMT Bucharest) in the Microphysical Characterization and Simulation  Laboratory. Currently he is Head of Microphysical Characterisation Group . His main scientific interests include : Scaning Probe Microscopy ( mainly AFM Surface morphology imaging and characterization ), force sensors for Atomic Force Microscopy ,  Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Beam Lithography.
He was the leader of some national research projects (Matnantech, Ceres,  Orizont 2000 ) and partner in international projects ( IMPACT, ASSEMIC- Marie Curie Training Network, PATENT-DfMM)  and the author more than 15 scientific papers presented at conferences and published in journals (Sensor & Actuators, J. of  Micromechanic and Microeng., Balkan Phys. Letters, Optical Materials, etc).

Raluca Gavrila received in 1987 the M.Sc. degree in Physics from University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics. 
From 1989 to 1987 she was working as Assistant Researcher, then as Research Scientist at the Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE Bucharest) in the Optoelectronics Laboratory.  From 1997 she is Senior Researcher at the National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies (IMT Bucharest) in the Microphysical Characterization and Simulation Laboratory. From 2000 she is in charge with Atomic Force Microscopy characterization in IMT.
Her main scientific interests include: Scanning Probe Microscopy for surface imaging and characterization,  applications of Atomic Force Microscopy for nanomechanical characterization of materials.
She was the head of some national research projects (Orizont 2000 and CEEX programs) and involved in a number of other national and international projects.
She is the author or c-author of 15 papers published in ISI journals and more than 20 other papers presented at international conferences

4. Relevant projects

• NANOMORPH (Accredited laboratory for morphological analyses at nanometric scale) -  CEEX/INFRAS project, 2006-2007  
• SIDISANIZ (Surface and organization phenomena in disperse systems containing anisotropic fluids), CEEX project, 2005-2007
• MATNANOGRAN  (Production and characterization of some nanocrystalline metallic materials), CEEX project, 2006-2008.

5. Relevant equipments

1. SEM Tescan Vega II LMU- Variable pressure microscope with large chamber and 4 axes motorised stage:

• accelerating voltage up to 30kV;
• resolution: 3nm;
• Scanning speed : from 200 ns to 10 ms per pixel adjustable in steps or continuously;
• Beam current: 1pA- 2 µA;
• possibility of remote control of the microscope including stage movements and remote diagnostics – via TCP/IP;

2. Pattern generator (PG) Raith Elphy Plus

• 6 MHz high-speed pattern generation hardware;
• 16 bit DAC vector scan beam deflection;
• 16 bit DAC vector scan beam deflection;
• 2 ns writing speed resolution;
• TTL and 100 V blanking signal drivers;
• 12 bit AD channel for reading detector signal (image acquisition);
• TTL signal for FIB/SEM external beam control request;
• 3 additional DAC per channel for alignment and calibration (hardware for scaling, rotation / orthogonality and shift);
• Decoupling from PC electronics and thermo control for main and calibration DACs;

3. Vacuum SPM system (AFM +STM)   NTEGRA AURA
       - Maximum scan area: 100 mm x 100 mm
      -  - x, y resolution: typical 3 nm; z resolution: 1 nm
     -  2D and 3D surface visualization, Inspection of  image details by interactive rotation and scaling, Line-by line cross-section profile analysis,  Roughness statistical analysis, Histogram, Fourier analysis
     -  measurements in low vacuum environment – 10-2 torr and in a controlled gas atmosphere as well.
      - sample size:   up to 100mm in diameter, up to 15 mm in height
      - optical viewing system : 1µm resolution
      - vibration isolation: active- 0.7-1000Hz

4.  SPIPTM - Image Metrology (contains specialized tools for analysing and  correcting AFM data: visualization, including a 3D visualization studio, measure and analysis (roughness analysis, grain and particle analysis), reduce noise and enhance features (correlation averaging, filtering and extended Fourier filtering),