Semiconducting properties study of thin metallic oxide layers – PSEUDO

The PSEUDO project aims to improve lifetime in extreme environments (high temperature, oxidizing atmosphere, irradiation...) of metallic alloys used in energy generation systems (solar, thermal, nuclear power plants, HTSE, SOFC…).
The innovative idea is to optimize the growth at high temperature of the protective scales by a detailed study of the major point defects governing the protective nature of the oxide layers. The better understanding of the phenomena via the photoelectrochemical (PEC) techniques must lead to the development of new concepts and processes to enhance the lifetime of alloys; all this to enable the creation of a functional metallurgy.
In this perspective, Cr2O3, NiO and iron oxides will be grown by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and thermal processes, and will be studied by PEC techniques for the establishment of a semiconducting properties database. Indeed, semiconducting properties of these groups of metallic oxides are not so well-known. For instance, the periodic tilting of the semiconducting-type (sometimes n-type, sometimes p-type) of the chromia depending on the oxidative atmosphere power is a good illustration. The following partners will be involved in the project with the SIMaP laboratory -coordinator, at Grenoble-: IJL laboratory, at Nancy and Ugitech company, at Ugine.