Synthesis, characterization, and application of nanostructured thin films/coatings

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I have established a strong and coordinated research program in the area of Nanoengineered Surface Coatings to address the key issues in surface science and engineering since 2005. The long term goal of the research program is to develop technologies and design methods to engineer the surfaces of technologically important materials at the nanometer scale to achieve desired properties for targeted mechanical, electrical, optical, and biomedical applications.     Over the past six years, my research team has been focusing on the development of plasma and ion beam based technologies and design methods to address key issues in the synthesis and characterize novel nanostructured thin films/coatings for industrial and biomedical applications and attempted to developed novel nanocomposite superhard coatings. Significant progress has been made towards the long term research goal. These include (1) the synthesis and characterization of diamond based coatings on biomedical grade CoCrMo alloys, Ti alloys, stainless steels, and other technical important alloys by interfacial design and process development, (2) the fabrication of high quality vanadium and niobium oxide films for optical and electrical applications, and the synthesis of novel Cr-Zr-O nanocomposite coating with superhardness for advanced cutting tools, and (3) the synthesis of Ta coatings with a new crystalline structure. In the present renewal application, I propose to work on long term research goal by developing technologies to address important challenges in nanostructured coatings and solve their critical problems for mechanical, biomedical, and electronic applications. Specifically, the proposed research will have the following short-term objectives over the next 5 years.     1. Developing adherent hard coatings on joint implant alloys with improved properties and performance for longer service lifetime.     2. Developing VO2-based films for simultaneous data processing and data storage.     3. Understanding the fine structure and clarifying the formation mechanism of the novel superhard Cr-Zr-O coating we have recently developed in order to engineering the coating for cutting tools to improve their efficiency and performance.     This research focuses on the creation, characterization, and application of novel nanostructured coatings for advanced data processing and data storage, cutting tools, and biomedical implants with a menu of targeted desirable qualities. It will lead to a better understanding of the basic scientific issues related to nanomaterials and their interactions with other materials and human tissues. It will contribute significantly to enhancing the capacity for nanomaterials synthesis and application in Canada. Finally, the research will provide excellent opportunities for training highly qualified personnel with integrated knowledge in materials science and engineering, mechanical and biomedical engineering, physics, chemistry, electronics, and data analysis.