Keynote Lectures

Keynote Lectures (KYL)

A special feature of highlighted presentations offers added value to the technical program. Lectures are dedicated to topics of fundamental interest for scientists and engineers in surface engineering. Presentations are individual and not “classic“ day-to-day R&D business. Discussion of new developments and trends of relevance to ICMCTF, both in materials science and in methodology, in a pioneering state, with long-term impact. Selected critical reviews in a field of relevance to ICMCTF. Recognition of colleagues with pioneering and lasting impact on ICMCTF.

David Ruzic, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

“HiPIMS with Cathode Reversal – Physics and Applications”

Monday, April 20, 2026, 1:00 p.m.

This talk covers the physics behind, and applications of a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) deposition system, which allows for the potential of the cathode to be reversed at the end of magnetron pulse. Results from a system which allows for detailed waveform control was first published [1], commercialized [2], and patented [3] at Illinois and has been the subject of numerous investigations. Reversing the cathode potential at the end of a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) pulse first turns the magnetron into a Hall-thruster expelling ions and plasma, and then raises the plasma potential, allowing the control of the ion energy during the kick to within one eV — even on insulating substrates. In addition, we will show that the ratio of target ions to gas ions can be controlled by changing the angle of the target with respect to the workpiece. Time-resolved Langmuir probes have been used as a function of position to show how the electron energy distribution evolves from a Maxwellian during the main negative pulse, to a Druyvesteyn during the delay before reversal, and to sub-Druyvesteyn during the positive pulse. The commutation of the potential to the workpiece happens on the micro-second timescale, and the attendant dV/dx heats the local electron population leading to enhanced ionization and therefore higher deposition rates. By running the appropriate waveform, a PVD tool can be used as an etcher. These abilities open a wide range of applications for such devices, from the ability to make conformal super-conducting films, corrosion barriers for bipolar fuel cell plates, more efficient CIGS solar cells, reduced-stress coatings, and room-temperature high-hardness TiN thin films.

[1] Wu B, Haehnlein I, Shchelkanov I, McLain J, Patel D, Uhlig J, Jurczyk B, Leng Y and Ruzic D N, “Cu films prepared by bipolar pulsed high power impulse magnetron sputtering” Vacuum 150 216–21 (2018) [2] Starfire Industries LLC http://starfireindustries.com [3] US Patents #11,069,515 B2 and #12,211,680 B2

Biography

David Neil Ruzic is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he joined the faculty in 1984 after receiving his PhD in Physics from Princeton University and post-doctoral work at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. His research centers on the interaction of plasmas with materials. He is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, a Fellow of the American Vacuum Society, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE). In 2017, he headed the effort to bring a mid-sized hybrid stellarator/tokamak to Illinois, now called HIDRA, capable of 1 Tesla fields with a minor radius of 19 cm and a major radius of 72 cm. In 2020, he founded the Illinois Plasma Institute, located on the UIUC Research Park, which is funded by industry to do translational research. Also in 2020, he won the International Gaede-Langmuir award from the AVS and the Fusion Technology Prize from IEEE. In 2024, he was awarded the University of Michigan Plasma Prize, and in 2025 was awarded the International Award in Technology from IUVSTA. He has published over 235 refereed journal papers, 2 books, and 6 book chapters, and has been awarded 12 patents. He has produced 38 PhD students and 61 thesis MS students. While no longer teaching (since 2024), he has otherwise failed at retirement. His current group consists of 1 postdoc, 16 graduate, and 25 undergraduate research assistants.

Krasimir Vasilev, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Australia

“Nanoengineered Materials and Coatings for Medicine and Beyond”

Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 1:00 p.m.

In this keynote talk, I will give an overview of recent progress from my lab on the development of plasma polymer-facilitated nanoengineered surfaces and materials that benefit many areas of application. Over the years, we developed a range of plasma-based methods with allow us to control that entire spectrum of material surface properties, including chemical, physical, mechanical, and topographical. The main focus of our research is the design and surface modification of novel medical devices and biomaterials for applications in areas such as tissue engineering, controlling inflammation and infections, drug delivery, and medical diagnostics. However, our surface modification technologies are not limited to medicine. We have demonstrated the utility of nanoengineered plasma polymers for solving problems in other areas such as environmental science and remediation, water treatment and even wine making. I will present the engineering and chemical concepts underpinning “plasma nanoengineering” and give a range of examples of applications of the technology in various fields, including commercial applications.

Biography

Professor Vasilev Completed a PhD in Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany) in 2005. He is currently a Matthew Flinders Professor, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and the Director of the Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University. Professor Vasilev has attracted in excess of 25M dollars in research funding from Government competitive grants and Industry, published more than 330 papers, > 15,000 citations, and H-index=68 (m-index>3). He has been awarded several prestigious Research Fellowships from ARC, NHMRC, and the Humboldt Foundation, and other awards such as the John A. Brodie Medal from Engineered Australis for achievements in Chemical Engineering.