Nano materials

In the EU research programme Horizon 2020, materials are regarded as a prerequisite to solve grand challenges such as health, energy, etc. Advanced, high tech or value added materials play a crucial role as a driver for innovation in many industrial domains because they create new options throughout the entire production chain.

Overview7A Supramolecular and bio-inspired materials7B Multilayered and artificial materials

7 Nano materials

This innovation may create either similar functionality against lower costs, or entirely new functionality against initially acceptable costs. We are learning to build new materials starting from particles, molecules and atoms. This often leads to a wealth of options for innovative products.

There are still countless undiscovered applications. It is essential to conduct further research in this respect to better organise the material structure. The challenge to materials technology is to better understand the relation between elementary building blocks (atoms, molecules, particles) and product properties and to use this information to better purposely organise the material structure by processing.

Theme coordinator
Dr. ir. L.J.M.G. Dortmans (TNO)

This theme contains the following programmes:

7A Supramolecular and bio-inspired materials
7B Multilayered and artificial materials

We are beginning to be able to build new materials starting from particles, molecules and atoms. This sometimes leads to unexpected and unpredictable properties, but often also leads to a wealth of options for innovative products. However, there are still countless undiscovered applications. It is essential to conduct further research in this respect to better organise the material structure. To achieve this, it is important to investigate the relation between material structure and properties during the entire production chain.

7A Supramolecular and bio-inspired materials

We are beginning to be able to build new materials starting from particles, molecules and atoms. This sometimes leads to unexpected and unpredictable properties, but often also leads to a wealth of options for innovative products. However, there are still countless undiscovered applications.

It is essential to conduct further research in this respect to better organise the material structure. To achieve this, it is important to investigate the relation between material structure and properties during the entire production chain.

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. Alan E. Rowan (Radboud University Nijmegen)

7B Multilayered and artificial materials

Nanomaterials can be characterised as being materials constructed out of one or more nano-components. These components, with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm, can interact in such a way that unique properties are obtained. Examples of such nanocomponents are: nanoparticles, nanostructured materials, semiconductor (nano)structures, superlattices of atomic layers, etc.

This programme focuses on such materials and applications thereof in exciting emerging fields, i.e., piezo-electrical-mechanical systems, advanced dielectrics and ferroelectrics, novel materials for memory applications, x-ray optics, and smart adaptive optics for EUV. In these fields, tailoring of materials at the atomic-level is required to achieve the desired properties and functions. This will be accomplished in an extensive collaboration between academic and industrial partners, using state-of-the-art capabilities for both the fabrication and study of nanomaterials. The emphasis of the research will be on the design, synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials containing oxide dielectric, ferroelectric and/or piezoelectric compounds, as well as non-oxide pure and compounded materials, including metals and semiconductors.

It is expected that the aforementioned materials will be integrated in functional devices in the next few years. The programme therefore not only focuses on the synthesis and study of these materials but also on the most important aspects of synthesis and integration at the industrial scale. This requires a collaborative effort of key industrial and academic research groups.

The ultimate goal of this programme is to increase the competitiveness of the Dutch industry by developing new materials and deposition techniques early in the adoption lifecycle, mainly concentrating on multilayered nanomaterials deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). It is expected that execution of the projects in this programme will lead to early generation of IP in the aforementioned emerging fields. The projects and participating partners are selected to realise this goal, and to strengthen of the cooperation between industry and academia.

Guus Rijnders

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. ing. A.J.H.M. (Guus) Rijnders (University of Twente)