Join us for the first webinar of 2023 as we introduce the HEX- our highly modular, benchtop thin-film coating system. Learn how the HEX’s open-frame architecture allows panels, sample tables, sources and in-situ measurement instruments to be interchanged with no specialist tools, providing a unique level of freedom to those in the thin-film R&D sector. Our novel, modular design offers researchers unmatched flexibility in retrofitting this PVD system with upgrades and third-party components. 

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is a method widely used across industry to deposit a very thin layer of a material on a surface to alter its properties. The technique has been utilized in various areas of battery research, including solid-state batteries.

A key challenge with solid state batteries is the high impedance at the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte. PVD is ideally suited to develop model systems to study and look to improve this problem.

PVD also allows high throughput screening of different materials to accelerate new composition developments with enhanced electrochemical properties.

The HEX series of PVD instruments is ideally suited for battery research. It is a cost-effective solution that is mounted below the glovebox, allowing use of the glovebox for other purposes and easy access to the vacuum chamber for modification and cleaning. The highly modular nature allows configuration changes without specialist tools, enabling changes in research direction without additional costs.

Thin-film coating processes are ubiquitous across the scientific world. They have historically been used to design optical cavities, coatings for SEM and give materials useful cosmetic or practical properties. More recently, they are gaining ground in the world of solid state batteries and thin-film perovskite solar cells. Join us for an overview of thin-film deposition techniques, including PVD, CVD, roll-to-roll coating and much more.

Join the Korvus team and two invited speakers to learn the key fundamentals of the HEX. The meeting will consist of two presentations from existing users on their applications and experiences, each of which will be followed by a detailed Q&A session. Afterwards, there will be a training presentation from one of the Korvus Technology team. This meeting is not just for HEX users, but for the users of other PVD systems and those generally interested in the technique.

First Speaker: Dr Bruno Rente, Imperial College London

Talk Title: “Deposition of metals and metal oxides using the HEX systems”

Dr Bruno Rente is the Research Facility Manager for the Royce Institute at Imperial College London. He is a specialist in thin films and nanofabrication and will talk about the long-term usage of the HEX and HEX-L systems at Imperial College London. Bruno received a degree in electronic engineering from the Federal Centre for Technological Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2010, a master’s degree from the Brazilian Centre for Research in Physics, where he gained experience with instrumentation and photonics, and a Ph.D. degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in 2017.

Bruno worked as a Laboratory Engineer for the Metallurgy and Material Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. In that occasion, his work was focused in photonics and materials for chemistry, optics, and tribological applications. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the City University of London working with fibre optic sensors for harsh environment applications.

He holds a post as Lecturer of the Federal Centre for Technological Education, Rio de Janeiro in the field of Instrumentation and Electronics and is currently the Research Facility Manager for the Royce Institute at Imperial College London, supporting researchers on material science and device manufacturing including photonic, plasmonic and electronic devices.

Second Speaker: Dr Andrea Vezzoli, University of Liverpool

Talk Title: “Single-Molecule Electronic Devices: Integrating Mechanical Functionality at the Nanoscale”

Dr. Andrea Vezzoli is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and a Reader in Physical Chemistry at the University of Liverpool.

His work focuses on the fabrication of functional single-molecule junctions – extremely small nanoelectronic devices made by one molecule “chemically soldered” to two nanoelectrodes. He has developed single-molecule transistors, nanoelectromechanical devices, and optoelectronic diodes, establishing structure-property relationships and developing novel instrumentation for high-bandwidth measurements. His group works on all aspects of junction fabrication, from the design and synthesis of molecular wires to their nanofabrication and nanomanipulation into single-molecule junctions, and the characterisation of their optoelectronic properties.

In addition to support from the Royal Society, Andrea’s research is also in receipt of council funding (EPSRC New Investigator Award 2020, EPSRC Core Equipment Award 2021, ERC Starting Grant 2022) and he sits on the management committee of the nanofabrication suite at the University of Liverpool with colleagues in Physics and Engineering.

Third Speaker: Dr Jessica Stoner, Korvus Technology

Dr. Jessica Stoner is the Product Manager for the HEX series at Korvus Technology.

Before joining Korvus in 2021, Jess worked as a researcher at the Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool. She worked on the synthesis and characterisation of functional thin films deposited using the PVD method, pulsed laser deposition.

Since joining Korvus, Dr. Stoner has installed a multitude of different HEX and HEX-L systems, and is directly involved with research and development to expand the company’s product line. She manages all technical aspects of the HEX both behind the scenes and in direct contact with users new and old, helping them to properly operate these PVD devices to achieve the best results possible.

Timing Schedule

• 2pm – First user talk
• 2:30pm – Q&A
• 2:45pm – Second user talk
• 3:15pm – Q&A
• 3:30pm – 10 minute break
• 3:40pm – Korvus service/maintenance talk
• 4:15pm – Q&A
• 4:30pm- Finish

We look forward to you joining us on 12th September 2023!