At the heart of our research is the design of cost-effective plasma devices for material synthesis and modification. We continuously strive to build affordable systems that can be easily used for different purposes. These include devices for thin film growth and surface modification. Moreover, efforts of building atmospheric plasma devices have been underway as well. Some of the devices we have designed and built are:

• 13.56 MHz RF Plasma System (High Vacuum)
• Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition System
• DC-powered Plasma System
• Microwave Plasma System
• Atmospheric Pressure Jet Plasma

In addition, the laboratory was also able to restore or refurbish old plasma equipment such as:

• 13.56 MHz RF Plasma System (Low Vacuum)
• Magnetron Sputtering System
• Magnetized Sheet Plasma System

Ion beam research, especially in the low-energy regime, will be at the forefront of our research initiatives. The laboratory is equipped with a low-energy ion source system capable of extracting broad 100 eV ions. Initial applications of these systems include the growth of diamond-like carbon films.

Thin film technology continues to be of great interest for different applications ranging from semiconductors to hard coatings. Vacuum and plasma technologies will continue to play a crucial role in tailoring film properties for targetted applications. By building locally-designed deposition systems, the versatility of the system, as well as the growth process, can be realized. At present, we are working on the following thin film materials:

• Nitride-based hard coatings (TiN, TiAlN, TiMoN, TiAlSiN, etc.)
• Photocatalytic oxide thin films (TiO2, ZnO, CuO, Cu2O, WO3, etc.)
• Diamond-like carbon films

In addition, to grow the thin films, we use the following techniques:

• Physical vapor deposition
• Chemical vapor deposition
• Ion beam-based deposition
• Spin-coating
• Spray deposition

Compared to traditional surface treatment processes, utilization of charged particles has the advantage of reducing the use of hazardous aqueous chemicals. With plasma and ion beams, a wide range of surface modification can be achieved such as surface functionalization and activation, surface energy modification, and barrier layer formation, among others. Surface modification may include changes in morphology, wettability, adhesion strength, and so on. However, integrating plasma processing in different stages of material production remains a challenge and further investigations are essential. In the laboratory, we are working on modifying and tailoring the surface properties of different materials such as:

• Polymers (polyethylene, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene)
• Glass
• Silicon
• Zeolites
• Carbon (graphene, graphite)
• Natural materials (chitosan, bamboo, coco coir, abaca)
• Nanomaterials (nanofibers, nanosilica)

These plasma-modified surfaces find different practical applications in

• Biomedicine
• Agriculture
• Catalysis
• Composites
• Energy harvesting
• Water treatment (desalination, water reclamation)

Efforts in understanding and predicting material properties especially in the atomic scale is crucial in the design of materials and processes. In the laboratory, initiatives in computational materials engineering are being undertaken for different length and time scales. Among the techniques used in the laboratory are density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and kinetic Monte Carlo.