After four years of collaboration between academia and industry, the project “Numerical Models for the Optimization of Innovative Superhard Materials” was successfully completed in March 2025. Funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the TREND programme, the project delivered new simulation tools and experimental insights that will accelerate the development of advanced protective coatings for mechanical engineering and the aerospace industry.
The project was carried out from April 2021 by PlasmaSolve s.r.o., led by Dr. Adam Obrusník. The research also involved experts from the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, and the CEPLANT center, specifically Prof. Petr Vašina, Dr. Zdeněk Bonaventura, Assoc. Prof. Jaroslav Hnilica and Dr. Peter Klein. An important industrial partner was also SHM s.r.o., represented by Mojmír Jílek. All three entities have been long-term research partners.
The aim of the project was to develop and validate simulation tools for modeling the flow of ions and neutral particles in the process of magnetron sputtering. These tools were subsequently verified using experimental diagnostics, which included measurements of deposition rates, ion fluxes using a Langmuir probe, and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Diagnostics were performed both under laboratory conditions and in the industrial device DRAK, developed by SHM s.r.o.
The resulting models were applied to ta-C and AlCrN layers, which are used as protective coatings in demanding operational environments. By integrating simulation tools with experimental validation, the optimization process of these layers was significantly streamlined, bringing direct benefits to industrial production.
Dr. Zdeněk Bonaventura from DPPT played a key role in the software development, having designed part of the numerical models. The project thus serves as an example of successful interdisciplinary collaboration, combining theoretical modeling, experimental physics, and industrial practice.
Although the project has officially ended, cooperation between the institutions continues. The scientific team is also preparing a new joint project aimed at developing a new generation of protective coatings with even higher functional properties.
PhD student Ondrej Kubinec, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Vilma Buršíková, participated in the TEM-UCA Summer Workshop 2025 in Puerto Real, Spain, focused on the latest advances in transmission electron microscopy for nanomaterials. His program included expert lectures and hands-on training with specialized tools for EELS analysis and electron beam–crystal interaction modeling, supporting his research on thermoelectric materials.
Our scientists participated in the International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases (ICPIG 2025) held in Aix-en-Provence, France. The Department of Plasma Physics and Technology was represented by Prof. David Trunec, along with Dr. Michal Pazderka and PhD candidate František Zažímal on behalf of the CEPLANT center. Also featured in the group photo are our colleagues Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Homola (currently working on an MSCA project at STU Bratislava), Dr. Oleksandr Galmiz (FMFI UK Bratislava), and Prof. Věra Mazánková (University of Defence in Brno).
