Advanced Materials & Processes

Main UBFC partners: FEMTO-ST (MN2S and Optics departments, MIMENTO clean room), Labex ACTION, Frec’N’Sys, Femto Engineering
International partner: TDK Epcos

Chair of excellence 2014-2017: Dr Ausrine Bartasyte
Chemical and strain engineering of single crystals and thin films of lithium niobate

Chair of excellence at FEMTO-ST (MN2S) and UFR ST (UFC)
Accreditation to supervise research (HDR) in 2013

Associate prof. at University of Lorraine
Chemist (specialist of PI MOCVD)

PhD Grenoble INPG 2007 (best thesis)
Post Doc at Oxford Univ. & LMGP
3 EU contracts & 1 ANR JC grant 2013
Head of an international network
30 articles in international journals (1 invited)
45 oral presentations (12 invited)
32 poster presentations in international conferences

Bartasyte has an experience of 14 years in deposition of epitaxial multifunctional oxides and their heterostructures (superconductors, mixed conductors, high-k dielectrics and ferroelectrics) by means of PI MOCVD and RF sputtering. She started to work on thin films during her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Vilnius University in Lithuania and PhD in Grenoble INP (2007). She did her postdoctoral research at Oxford University, on LiNbO3, LiTaO3and LiNb1-xTaxO3single crystal growth, study of their structure and the estimation/control of Li stoichiometry in LiTaO3 crystals by VTE.

At University of Lorraine, her research was focused on strain and chemical engineering of Li(K)Nb(Ta)O3 thin films and single crystals for SAW applications. During her sabbatical leave to Harvard University, she optimized titanium oxide films for photonic applications. She has an excellent knowledge of LiNbO3-LiTaO3 family materials and their properties.

Ausrine is member of the MN2S department at FEMTO-ST :

CIFRE with EPCOS, Advanced materials and cost-effective industrial process for efficient acoustic devices

TDK EPCOS, the world market leader in RF devices, together with FEMTO-ST and the company Frec’N’Sys strive after the development of a new generation of high performance, robust and low-cost acoustic devices.

Currently, about 75 % of the commercialized RF devices are fabricated from LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 single crystals, presenting high acoustical performance. Both of them are known for their high electromechanical and electro-opticalcouplings and are, therefore highly desired for integrated and miniaturized optical (waveguides), acoustic (SAW, BAW, HBAR, FBAR), photonics and MEMS devices.

The CIFRE project consists in chemical engineering of these two crystals with thicknesses in the ranges from 100 to 500 µm) in order to tune their physical properties in a precisely controlled way and to provide the acoustic devices with better performances (lifetime, stability of the signals when performing in high frequencies).

The second stage of the project will be led by the company Frec’N’Sys, in collaboration with FEMTO-ST. Its mission involves the design, modeling, production and characterization of some demonstrators of acoustic filters based on the custom-made monocrystals.

The main challenge to tackle will be to develop, optimize and transfer a cost-effective and reliable industrial process suitable with the one currently used by TDK. To achieve this goal, the teams will exploit an industrial pilot line located at the MIMENTO clean room.

Development of functional materials and integrated devices (Labex ACTION)

The CIFRE project falls within a broader approach which underlines the scientific and technological know-how of the Labex in the field of functional materials and integrated devices.

In fact, 2 complementary projects are currently co-financed by ACTION :

«RACE3» (in collaboration with Femto-Engineering) : Transfer-Thinning down of electro-optic, ferroelectric & piezoelectric layers (thickness: 500 to 1µm),
«TIARE» (Chaire of excellence’s project): Thin films & structures of LiNbO3 for Acoustical/optical integRated dEvices (thickness: <1µm)

Targeted applications :

Information & communication (DSL, cell phones, integrated
modulators, USB, GPS, bluetooth, wifi, etc.)
Automotive industry (security,e-mobility, power train, eCall, etc…)
Medical applications
Military applications
Sensors, SAW-tags, Lab on chip, Energy harvesting
Internet of things

Lastest UBFC publication liked to advanced manufacturing processes :

Homogeneous large-scale crystalline nanoparticle-covered substrate with high SERS performance
By: Aybeke, E. N.; Lacroute, Y.; Elie-Caille, C.; et al.
NANOTECHNOLOGY Volume: 26 Issue: Nanotechnology, Volume 26, Number 24

The aim of this work is to present a new protocol for designing a homogeneous plasmonic substrate made of crystalline nanoparticles. The added value of our fabrication procedure is that it produces crystalline gold nanoparticles separated by a short interparticle distance (1-3 nm) over the entire substrate surface. These morphological advantages produce a homogeneous SERS response, and hence position-independent spectroscopic measurements.

FEMTO-ST (Laurent Cheviet)

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