Article published on mars 2008D2M
Surface treatment using liquids
Dedicated to liquid-based surface treatments, the D2M platform (Micronanostructured
and Multifunctional Deposition) is geared to applications related
to small and large-area surface micro-nanostructuring and functionality. Based at
the Optique et Vision technology park in Saint-Etienne and managed by CEA LITEN,
the platform includes a white room measuring 200 m2 divided into two parts: a
research laboratory and a pilot test line that has been specially adapted in terms
of resources (cleaning, deposition equipment and an annealing furnace for coating
large surfaces) and in terms of the environment, for upgrading from "lab scale" to
pre-industrialisation experiments.
The studies performed on this platform are based
on processes using liquids, such as sol-gel technology, or processes that require
deposition and surface micro-nanostructuration equipment that is hard to find
in Europe, with potential applications in the optical
instruments, mechanics and industrial instrumentation
sectors. The D2M platform is supported by the French
government, the Rhône-Alpes Region, the Loire General
Council and Saint-Etienne Metropolitan Council.
