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Created: 20 October 2020

Successful Plasma Summer School in 2020 in an online format

Due to the current situation, this year's summer school did not take place at the usual location of the physics center in Bad Honnef, but online. The regular programme consisting of basic plasma physics lectures combined with a master class on special topics could not take place as usual. Nevertheless, all teachers have agreed to deliver their basic lectures via an online video format. The summer school was extended to two weeks with two lectures per day. This year more people were able to tune in, because the online format is much easier to reach from regions with limited travel possibilities.
The lectures were technically flawless and the feedback from students and teachers was very positive. Many discussions and interactions could be made possible due to the high commitment of all teachers. Two practical workshops were also held by L. L. Alves on solving the Boltzmann equation and by N. Braithwaite on analyzing the Paschen curve.
We hope for another summer school in 2021, then again in the facilities of the physics center in Bad Honnef. The latest information on the planning for 2021 will be published at the summer school homepage in March 2021.

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Created: 20 September 2020

Online Plasma Summer School in 2020

Although the situation regarding the Covid 19 pandemic is affecting our day-to-day business at the moment, we are trying to plan the upcoming International Low Temperature Plasma Physics School for October 2020. Therefore, the 24th International Plasma School on "Low Temperature Plasma Physics: Fundamentals and Applications" (October 3-8, 2020) will be an online course over two weeks (October 5-16, 2020). Unfortunately, the Master Class "Spectroscopy" for 2020 has to be cancelled. However, this master class will have been held during the next school in 2021.

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Created: 01 July 2020

Lukas Mai and colleagues on new chemistry for ultra-thin gas sensors 

A Bochum team has developed a new process for zinc oxide coatings that can be used in nitrogen oxide sensors and as protective coatings on plastics.
The application of zinc oxide coatings in industry is manifold and ranges from the protection of perishable goods from air to the detection of toxic nitrogen oxides. Such layers can be produced by means of atomic layer deposition (ALD), which normally uses precursor chemicals, so-called precursors, which ignite immediately in air. An interdisciplinary research team at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) has now established a new production process based on non-self-igniting precursors that takes place at such low temperatures that plastics can also be coated. The team reported in the magazine "Small", which selected the article for its title in the issue of 4 June 2020.

Applying ultra-thin coatings

To produce a sensor for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a thin layer of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) must be applied to a sensor substrate and then integrated into an electrical component. Prof. Dr. Anjana Devi's team used ALD to apply ultra-thin ZnO layers to such sensor substrates.
In general, ALD processes are used in industry to miniaturize electrical components by means of ultra-thin layers, some of which are only a few atomic layers thick, while at the same time increasing the efficiency. This requires precursors that react on a surface in the ALD process to form a thin layer. "The chemistry behind ALD processes is therefore essential and has a great influence on the resulting layers," emphasizes Anjana Devi.

Safe handling and highest quality

In industry, ZnO coatings have so far been produced with an extremely reactive zinc precursor that ignites immediately in air, experts call it pyrophoric. "The key to developing a safe ALD process was to research a new, non-pyrophoric precursor that can be handled safely and is capable of producing ZnO coatings of the highest quality," said Lukas Mai, lead author of the study. "The challenge was to find an alternative chemistry capable of replacing pyrophoric, industrially used compounds".
The special feature of the new process is that it is even possible at low temperatures, which makes it possible to coat plastics. Thus, the new process is not only suitable for the production of gas sensors, but also for gas barrier layers. These are applied to plastic in industry and are used to protect sensitive goods such as food and medicines from air.
This was made possible by the interdisciplinary cooperation of natural scientists and engineers. The team included the working groups Chemistry of Inorganic Materials headed by Anjana Devi and General Electrical Engineering and Plasma Technology headed by Prof. Dr. Peter Awakowicz, researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the company Paragon.
The work was funded by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) in the Funald project and by the German Research Foundation in the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregional TR87. Lukas Mai was supported by the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft.

adapted from Meike Drießen, RUB

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Created: 01 July 2020

International School on Low Temperature Plasma Physics 2020

Due to the situation with Covid-19, the Plasma School will be an online course lasting over two weeks (October 5th until October 16th, 2020). Unfortunately, the Master Class “Spectroscopy” has to be cancelled for 2020. However, this Master Class will take place during the next school in 2021.

Since all teachers of the school confirmed their participation also in an online format, we changed the schedule, so that the intensity of the courses will be comfortable for the participants. Some of the courses will be online in advance, so that you can decide when to watch the videos. Other teachers prefer to do their courses live, so there will be a defined time slot to watch the lectures. However, all teacher of the corresponding day will be available online for Q & A discussions in the afternoon. The school will be free of charge for all participants.

In order to guarantee an optimal interaction between teachers and students, we limit the access to the school. Therefore, a registration on the school webpage is necessary with an appropriate motivation text. Please, register until July 15th if you would like to attend the online format of the school. After this date, the organization team will decide about the participants. All previously registered students will of course also be considered for the school's online format.

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Created: 20 June 2020

Research data management as central aspect within the collaborative research centres

Research data is a central output of science. They expand the scientific knowledge and are the basis for future research projects. The documentation of research data should follow subject-specific standards. The long-term archiving of research data is important for the quality assurance of any scientific work, but is also a fundamental prerequisite to allow the reusability of research results.

Researcher from the INP Greifswald enrolled a BMBF funded project with the title Quality assurance and networking of research data in plasma technology - QPTDat. This project aims to develop and test processes and methods for a quality assured and interdisciplinary reuse of research data from plasma technology.

QPTDat cooperation

A collaboration between INP and the CRC 1316 started in 2018 and now the Plasma Science Hub, and also the SFB-TR 87 join the activities on research data management. A workshop organized by INP Greifswald in January 2020 was the starting point for further active implementations in the field of research data management in the plasma community in the CRCs as well as in the Research Department.

First measures at EP2

As a first measure, an initiative at the research group EP2 at RUB results in an improved data storage on the local server of the institute. The storage volume has a regular backup and granting access to the complete group or to individual persons is possible. Beside measurement data, all further analysis steps are documented including meta data from all process steps. The members of the research group used a file name scheme, so that files can be found easily by other researchers.

Research data repository

Finally, published research data can be stored and published for the open public on the repository at

The idea of such a repository is the full documentation of measurement conditions (measurement data in a readable file format including meta data). First research groups from the CRCs have access to this repository and upload research data of published papers.

The concept of the repository is based on a multi-level system for publishing records. Users can put data online for review, which are then published by group moderators. The standards for publishing records must be defined by the group. In addition, meta data standards are currently being developed within the CRCs and together with INP Greifswald, so that data entry will be clearer and more uniform in future.

NFDI4Phys

Recently, the Plasma Science Hub has started to join the collaboration of different scientific institutions within the so-called
NFDI4Phys consortium. It aims to create structures and tools to simplify and unify the exchange of (mainly) numerical factual data in all areas of physics, with related disciplines and with the industry. The consortium is applying to the DFG for funding within the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) project.

Within the framework of the NFDI4Phys consortium, the CRCs developing meta data standards for research questions in plasma science. Further goals are to contribute to the definition of basic and interdisciplinary standards and to develop methods to make research data from different sources generally accessible and interpretable.

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Created: 09 June 2020

Zanders et al. generate an unusual cobalt compound 

A research team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and Carleton University in Ottawa has developed a novel, highly versatile cobalt compound. The molecules of the compound are stable, extremely compact and have a low molecular weight so that they can be evaporated for the production of thin films. Accordingly, they are of interest for applications such as battery or accumulator production. Because of their special geometry, the compound also has a very unusual spin configuration of ½. A cobalt compound like that was last described in 1972. The team published their report in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition from 5 May 2020.

The geometry makes the difference

“The few known cobalt(IV) compounds exhibit high thermal instability and are very sensitive towards air and moisture exposure. This impedes their implementation as model systems for broad reactivity studies or as precursors in material synthesis,” explains lead author David Zanders from the Inorganic Materials Chemistry research group in Bochum, headed by Professor Anjana Devi. In his ongoing binational PhD project, which has been agreed upon by Ruhr University and Carleton University by a Cotutelle agreement, David Zanders and his Canadian colleagues Professor Seán Barry and Goran Bačić discovered a cobalt(IV) compound that does not only possess the aforementioned properties but also exhibits an unusually high stability.
Based on theoretical studies, the researchers demonstrated that a nearly orthogonal embedding of the central cobalt atom in a tetrahedrally arranged environment of connected atoms – so-called ligands – is the key to stabilising the compound. This specific geometric arrangement within the molecules of the new compound also enforces the unusual electron spin of the central cobalt atom. “Under these extraordinary circumstances, the spin can only be ½,” points out David Zanders. A cobalt compound with this spin state and similar geometry has not been described for almost 50 years.
Following a series of experiments, the team also showed that the compound has a high volatility and can be evaporated at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius with virtually no decomposition, which is unusual for cobalt(IV).

Promising candidate for ultra-thin layers

Individual molecules of the compound dock onto surfaces in a controllable manner after evaporation. “Thus, the most fundamental requirement of a potential precursor for atomic layer deposition has been fulfilled,” asserts Seán Barry. “This technique has increasingly gained in importance in industrial material and device manufacturing, and our cobalt(IV) compound is the first of its kind that is fit for this purpose.” “Our discovery is even more exciting as the high-valent oxides and sulfides of cobalt are considered to have great potential for modern battery systems or microelectronics,” adds Anjana Devi. Following frequent charging and discharging, electrodes in rechargeable batteries become more and more unstable, which is why researchers are looking for more stable and, consequently, more durable materials for them. At the same time, they also focus on using new manufacturing techniques.
“This binational collaboration, which was initiated by David Zanders, has pooled the creativity and complementary expertise of chemical engineers from Bochum and Ottawa. All this has produced unexpected results and was certainly the key to success,” concludes Anjana Devi.

written by Meike Drießen, RUB

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Created: 28 May 2020

Finnish university awards Anjana Devi an honorary doctorate

The chemist is a specialist for ultra-thin layers, some of which consist of only a single layer of atoms. The development and application of new chemical precursors, so-called precursors, for the production of ultra-thin layers, some of which consist of only one atomic layer, is the speciality of Prof. Dr. Anjana Devi, head of the Chemistry of Inorganic Materials group at the RUB. Such layers are used, for example, for the production of solar cells, sensors, displays or components for micro- and optoelectronics. For her work in this field, Anjana Devi was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Finnish Aalto University. The cooperation is related to framework of the SFB-TR 87.
The key technologies Devis Team works with are Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In both cases, the aim is to deposit very thin layers of a material, for example metals or semiconductor materials, on a substrate and to investigate the influence of newly developed precursors. "Anjana Devi has helped to bring the ALD and CVD communities together by organizing major international conferences and leading EU projects in this field," says the Aalto University's rationale. Since 2014, the Bochum team has had a close exchange with the Finnish university, including joint supervision of doctoral students.

adapted from RUB webpage, written by Meike Drießen

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Created: 03 April 2020

Two PhD students profit from research stay at Hamaguchi Lab, Center for Atomic and Molecular Technologies, Osaka University, Osaka

From October to December 2019, I was able to join the lab of Prof. Satoshi Hamaguchi at the Center for Atomic and Molecular Technologies in Osaka, Japan.
My field of research is applied microbiology and my focus is on biocatalytic reactions with non-thermal plasmas.
Using numerical simulations, I studied the propagation of plasma-induced reactive species in liquids to gain an insight on the depth of penetration and concentration of these species. This knowledge will help to understand the interaction between plasmas and enzymes that are studied in project B8 of the CRC 1316, specifically to protect the enzymes from inactivation and to drive biocatalysis.
The research stay in Japan was very helpful to deepen my knowledge for my main research question.

Abdulkadir Yayci, project B8 of the CRC 1316

I have visited Hamaguchi Laboratories at Osaka University in Japan for 3 months. The lab exchange was funded partially by the CRC-1316 and the JSPS core-to-core program. The group of Prof. Satoshi Hamaguchi developed a reaction-diffusion-convection simulation for the generation and transport of chemical species in water, introduced by atmospheric-pressure plasma. During my stay, I worked on a multiphase fluid model. The typical flow field of a turbulent atmospheric-pressure plasma jet in direct vicinity of a liquid was modelled by solving a k-epsilon turbulence model. A Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method was applied for the coupled flow of gaseous and liquid phase. The simulations agree very well with experimental results in the literature. The results from the fluid flow simulations were integrated into the reaction-diffusion-convection equations to evaluate the influence of different flow regimes on the generation and transport of chemical species in the liquid.
At Bochum University, I am working as a PhD student within project B5 of the CRC 1316: 2D-plasma-liquid-solid interfaces – plasma electrolytic oxidation. The generated results can be useful for this project in regards of chemical species generation inside of liquids. In addition, the fluid flow model is interesting for other groups working with atmospheric-pressure plasmas (e.g. project B2: Self-organization of sub-µm surface structures stimulated by microplasma generated reactive species and short-pulsed laser irradiation).
Summarizing I can say, that I had a very pleasant stay in Osaka, that I personally enjoyed a lot. The cooperation with the Hamaguchi Laboratories were very fruitful and everyone was very kind during my stay.

Patrick Hermanns, project B5 of the CRC 1316

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Created: 21 February 2020

Plasma workshop at Bo.Ing 2020

The SFB-TR 87 and CRC 1316 joined the workshop program of the Bo.Ing 2020. At the Bochum engineering forum "BO.Ing", pupils are given an insight into the engineering sciences in workshops, laboratory tours and discussion groups. The event is organised by the zdi network IST.Bochum.NRW and is implemented in cooperation with universities from Bochum and the surrounding area.

With plasma workshop, sixteen pupils in two different workshop learned the basic ideas about plasma and its applcation. In hands-on activities, the girls and boys were able to perform their own experiments.

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Created: 12 February 2020

Plasma theory day 2020

Organized under the umbrella of the RAPP Center and Research Department Plasma, we are happy to announce the second Plasma Theory Day at RUB, to take plase from March 16 to March 17, 2020. The program is now online here.

It is meant to further intensify the scientific discussion in the area of plasma- and plasma-astrophysics in the UAR research landscape. Please forward this message to everybody interested. I would appreciate if those who intend to come write an email to me, as I need an estimate concerning the size of the lecture hall. Right now we plan to be in NB7/67, but I can reserve a larger room if necessary.