EC 5FP IP "CAMART" Project (2001-2004)

CAMART Structure

Functional Disordered Materials

Work Packages:

1. Third Group Nitride Thin Films
2. Radiation Energy Detectors and Storage Read-Out Materials
3. Materials for Photonics
4. Scintillators
5. Defects in Oxide Glasses
6. Photo and E-beam Induced Processes
7. Alkali Earth Fluorides

Advanced Ferroelectric Materials

Work Packages:

1. New Ferroelectric Perovskites
2. Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics of Dielectrics
3. Finite Size Effects in Ferroelectric Thin Films
4. Electromagnetic Radiation in Ceramics
5. Midinfrared Medical Laser Systems

Computer Modelling

Work Packages:

1. Defects and Surfaces
2. The Kinetics of Colloid Formation
3. Self-Organization on Surfaces
4. Oxidation and Corrosion
5. Defects in Oxides

Materials for Vision Science

Work Package:

1. Ophthalmic Materials

Solid State Ionics and Devices

Work Packages:

1. Regional Seminar on Solid State Ionics
2. Participation in Conferences
3. 5th International Meeting on Electrochromics
4. Visiting Fellows for Teaching and Training
5. In-situ X-ray Absorption Study
6. Synthesis and Characterization of Materials for FC and MHB
7. Study of HTSC, SSB and Electrides Based on Zeolites
8. Application of Artificial Olfaction

Introduction and Objectives

The Excellence Centre of Advanced Material Research and Technology (CAMART) started its activity January 1, 2001.

The location of the Centre within Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, has been selected by the European Commission (Brussels), which, together with the Latvian Council of Science provides the financial support of the Centre.

The mission of the Centre is to promote research and disseminate knowledge of modern functional materials and high technologies with special emhpasis on application in microelectronics and photonics. It will be realised by improving the links with other European centers and researchers, through networking and twinning arrangements.

International Advisory Board

1. Prof. Gunnar Borstel, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
2. Prof. Niels E.Christensen, University of Aarhus, Denmark
3. Prof. Claes-Goran Granqvist, Uppsala University, Sweden
4. Prof. Peter P.Edwards, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
5. Prof. Andrejs Silins, Latvian Academy of Science, Latvia
6. Dr. S.Tuituinnikov, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia
7. Prof. Juris Upatnieks, Applied Optics, USA
8. Prof. Harald W.Weber, Atomic Institute of Austrian Universities, Vienna, Austria

Executive Committee

1. Dr. A.Sternberg (stern@latnet.lv), Contractor of CAMART
2. Dr. A.Krumins (krumins@latnet.lv), Scientific Coordinator
3. Prof. I.Tale (iatale@latnet.lv), Education Activities
4. Dr. D.Millers (dmillers@latnet.lv), Knowledge Dissemination
5. Dr. A.Lusis (lusis@latnet.lv), Cooperation with Industry

Subjects

Functional Disordered Materials

Study of relaxation mechanisms of the electronic excitations in new optical binary and ternary compounds (LiBaF₃, PbWO₄) and complex perovskite oxides (LiNbO₃, KNbO₃) with the aim to develop new materials for radiation detectors and photonics.

Synthesis and research of amorphous chalcogenide semiconductor (As-S, As-Se) thin films for optical recording and electron beam lithography. Development of rainbow hologram production and diffractive optical elements.

Point defects in optical glasses and fibres. Defect creation mechanism and optical properties.

Advanced Ferroelectric Materials

Production, properties and application of ferroelectric materials, mainly ceramics and thin films. Chemical coprecipitation and hot pressing technologies; the pulsed laser deposition and sol-gel processing of ferroelectric thin films. Studies of phase transitions and ordering effects in conventional ferroelectrics and ferroelectric relaxors including new multicomponent systems and thin film heterostructures. Application of smart ferroelectric materials in microelectro-mechanics and electrooptics.

Computer Modelling of advanced materials

The kinetics of processes with emphasis on self-organization and catalytic surface reactions and the atomic/electronic structure calculations of the defects in nonmetallic solids. Application of different techniques, including analytical formalisms and large-scale computer simulations (both quantum chemical methods and Monte Carlo/cellular automata modelling).

Materials for Vision Science

Research of the newest optical materials and lenses usable for vision correction devices and for vision science applications to investigate the human vision perception and to model optical system eye - corrective element. Study of materials used as visual stimuli (ligh emitting screens, road signs, etc.) in different illumination conditions to ensure optimum visual ergonomics.

Solid State Ionics and Devices

Electrophysics and electrochemistry of specific semiconductor materials, mixed conductors, ion conductors, high temperature superconductors (transition metal oxides, bronzes, metal hydrates, solid electrolytes, etc.). The ion insertion phenomena in multi layer electrochemical systems (functional coatings) and solid-state reactions in bulk of electrode, solid electrolyte and at interfaces. The stability of electrodes for Ni/MH and Li-ion batteries.

Studies of the gases and ions sensing phenomena and detection technologies for application in gas recognition instruments with artificial intelligence; the development of new measurement technologies for these instruments. Research and development tasks for an electronic nose oriented in application for control of goods conformity and food quality.

Activities of the Centre of Excellence

2004 was the last activity year of the Centre of Excellence CAMART - the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Material Research and Technologies. The project was established by the 5th framework Programme of the European Comission, the main tasks of the Centre being:

• to promote restructuring of the science and technology sectors;
• to promote the economic and social needs of the regions;
• to attract young researchers;
• to adopt the best experience in collaboration with the European colleagues.

The support from EC was 703 000 EUR or 400 000 Ls for three years and the funding had be spent on:

• extended visits (more than one month of duration) of foreign colleagues at the ISSP (31%);
• visits of the ISSP employees abroad, including attendance of conferences and organization of workshops (35%);
• purchase of equipment and materials necessary for foreign colleagues during their visits (9%);
• overhead expenses (25%).

Undoubtedly, Centre of Excellence (CE) label has raised the prestige of the Institute, the international one as well as the national.

Attracting visitors from EU and other countries, the CE project facilitated and extended international scientific cooperation. If formerly only rare single scientists paid durable work visits to the Institute, then now, thanks to the support of the EC, the work visits of foreign scientists were rather frequent. E.g. in the years 2001 - 2004, 66 foreign scientists and 9 PhD students from different European countries worked at the laboratories of the Institute, 60 of them for a longer time as one month (Table 4). 68 Institute fellows had in 2001 - 2004 foreign research trips supported by the CE funds.

Such a high mobility of the scientists has been never before noticed during the whole history of the Institute. Intensive exchange of know-how, research methods and numerous productive joint researches was a natural product of the great number of working trips. Centre of Excellence funds enabled for the first time the Institute to accept foreign postdocs (2).

Table 1. Long term visits to CAMART 2001 – 2004

Due to EC funding, several international scientific events and scientific seminars of Institute were organised. (Table 2). These meetings upgraded the level of education in the scientific field of the project and were stimulating for the Institute’s staff, as well for the visitors from European partner institutions. The CE project stimulated attracting of young researchers and modernisation of study programms in physics.

Table 2. Conferences and Workshops, organised by CAMART (2001 - 2004):

Table 3. SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT, PURCHASED IN 2002 - 2004 DUE TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF: LATVIAN GOVERNMENT (300 000 EUR); CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE (25 000 EUR)

1. ARS closed cycle cryostat
2. Portable handheld gas chromatograph
3. Ar laser tube
4. Tektronix digital storage oscilloscope
5. Scanning probe microscope Smena H
6. Supercomputer, consisting of Cluster of 5 Compaque PCs
7. IR spectrometer Bruker Equinox 55
8. AMKO spectrometer with CCD camera
9. Digital EMG system for evoked brain potentials study
10. Dual phase lock-in amplifiers
11. Magnetooptical cryostat.

The CE status assisted to obtain funds from EC 6th Framework programme as well (Table 4). Fruitfull was the cooperation in Network of Centres of Excellence Interfacial Effects, Novel Properties and Technologies of Nanostructured Materials.

Table 4

ENHANCED PARTICIPATION OF THE INSTITUTE IN OTHER AREAS OF 6TH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME

STRP Project Nanoscale mapping and surface structural modification by joined use of x-ray microbeams and tip assisted local detection (Dr.habil. J.Purans)

Collective Research Project Removal of Hazardous Substances in Electronics: Processes and techniques for SMEs (Dr.A.Lusis)

Marie Curie Large Conference ICDIM 2003 (Dr.habil. I.Tale)

Network off Excellence Project Multifunctional and Integrated Piezoelectric Devices (Dr.V.Zauls)

EURATOM project Investigation of metal ions in fusion plasmas using emmision spectroscopy (Prof.Dr. I.Tale)

EURATOM project Study of the dynamics of edge localised modes in the ASDEX Upgrade and JET tokamaks (Prof.Dr.V.Kuzovkov)

EURATOM project Development of ferroelectric thin films for radiation resistant diagnostic componenets (Dr.A.Sternberg)

Prof. Dr.A.Krumins

Scientific coordinator of CAMART

Documents

• Par Ekselences Centru / About Center of Excellence
• Ekselences Centra svinīgaja atklāšana / Excellence Centre opening ceremony
• Brief Report 2001 (PDF version)
• Final report of CAMART (PDF version)
• Projekta mājaslapa / Project homepage

Contact Address

Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia

Centre of Excellence CAMART

Kengaraga street 8

LV-1063 Riga

Latvia

Phone: (+371) 7187816

Fax: (+371) 7132778

E-mail: ISSP@cfi.lu.lv

Internet: http://www.cfi.lu.lv