Mechanics of porous silica films

Un article de Surface du verre et interfaces.

François Guillemot (PhD 2007-2010) - Etienne Barthel

 

 

SEM picture of the top a a silica macroporous film

 

 

Delamination around a indent on a sol-gel silica thin film

The structure of porous materials has a strong influence on their physical properties ( dielectric constant, acessibility, permeabillity) and consequently on their potential application in catalysis, micro-electronics or filtration. Such materials can be synthesised by the sol-gel process using an organic template to create the porosity. In such a process the morphology of the material and the microsctructure of the host material are thightly linked.

Despite the high versatility of the sol-gel process, industrial applications of sol-gel thin films are quite seldom because of their poor mechanical resistance and durability. The issue lays first in the poor hydrolytic durability of the films in their environment, and then in the resitance to mechanical loadings such as indentation and scratch.

A deeper optimization of the structure of the material, while the structure of the porosity is maintained, is necessary to allow a wider industrial application of sol-gel porous thin films.

Collaborations

Thin Films synthesis

• Thierry Gacoin, Jean-Pierre Boilot - Sol-gel synthesis of porous silica films -Laboratory of Physics of the Condensed Matter, Chemistry Group - Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
• Elodie Bourgeat-Lami, Christian Graillat - Synthesis of the porogen - Laboratory for the Chemistry and Processes of Polymerisation - CPE, Lyon, France

Characterisation

• Aline Brunet-Bruneau - Infrared ellispometry and ellipsometry-porosimetry - Paris Institute of Nanoscience - Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France

Recent Publications

• N. Chemin, M. Klotz, V. Rouessac, A. Ayral, E. Barthel “Mechanical properties of mesoporous silica thin films: Effect of the surfactant removal processes” Thin Solid Films, 495 (2006) 210-213.
• M. Klotz, A. Perriot and E. Barthel "Deformation Processes During Indentation of Mesoporous silica Thin Films" Mater. Res. Soc. Symposium Proceedings Vol.791. 2004: 171-5.
• E. Craven, S. Besson, M. Klotz, T. Gacoin, J.-P. Boilot and E. Barthel "How can Nanoparticles change the Mechanical Resistance of Ordered Mesoporous Thin Films ?" Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis 146 (2003) 534-539.