INFLPR (Bucharest, Romania)

National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics

INFLPR carries out fundamental and applied research activities in the field of photonics, high power lasers, laser interaction with matter, plasma and electron accelerators. The new technological advancements aim to boost regional and national sustainable development by collaborative research partnerships with other research institutes, academia and industrial partners.

Research highlights
High energy physics

The research activity is focused on the interaction of ultra-short high-intensity lasers with matter and its applications: plasma physics and diagnostics, production of sources of energetic particles and radiation and their applications in different scientific fields (medicine, chemistry, space science).

In the last years, INFLPR has developed capacities for innovation and industrial exploitation enabling the advance of the new technologies in the fields of

  1. Laser processing and device fabrication for various applications such as spark plugs for fossil fuel efficient combustion, microfluidics for cancer research, scaffolds for tissue engineering or sensing structures for gas detection;
  2. Plasma processing and coating of various substrate materials for the first wall in the nuclear fusion devices or other applications;
  3. X-ray tomography analysis of superconducting cables for a new generation of accelerators or medical applications.

Laser assisted additive manufacturing, semiconductor and sensing based research are current topics developed at INFLPR for industrial applications. SMEs and medium size companies have been involved in this technology transfer for specific applications under regional projects.

Credit: INFLPR-CETAL

At INFLPR new research infrastructures are now operational:

  • CETAL – a technological center covering applications for ultra-intense laser interaction with solid and gaseous targets in TW an PW regime (CETAL-PW), laser material processing for macro- to micro and nano-fabrication (CETAL-LaMP), biophotonics and photonic based characterizations with sources and detectors from UV to THz (CETAL-PhIL).
  • PHOTOPLASMAT- a technological center proposing unique combination of laser/plasma/radiation material processing and characterization techniques at industrial standards, aiming to facilitate the technological transfer of research results based on the concept of “scaling-up approach” and to provide synthesis, processing and material functionalization services over an extended range of applications for semiconductor, photonic or sensing industries.
  • Electron accelerator facility and X-Ray tomography laboratory for material irradiations and advanced characterizations. This infrastructure is accessible for users from any research institute and industrial entities at national an EU level.

As promoter of the Extreme Light Infrastructure project in Romania, INFLPR and CETAL conducted an intense collaboration with partners from other institutes and ELI-NP in the research fields defined by the ELI-NP Whitebook: laser-plasma driven acceleration, laser targets, and interaction of laser generated radiation with materials and bio-materials.

Expertise

Credit: INFLPR-CETAL

The institute employs about 500 researchers and administrative staff to conduct frontier research ranging from basic photonic materials and high power lasers, nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, quantum dots and information technologies, plasma physics and X-ray microtomography to industrial photonics, biophotonics, plasma coatings and space science. In 2014, Center for Advanced Laser Technologies (CETAL) was inaugurated. In 2023, the newest department- Innovation Center in Photonics and Plasma for Advanced Materials and Technologies (PHOTOPLASMAT) was commissioned.

CETAL consists of three laboratories with specific activities:

  • i) the research activity of the CETAL-PW laboratory is focused on the interaction of ultra-short high-intensity lasers with matter and its applications: plasma physics and diagnostics, production of sources of energetic particles and radiation and their applications in different scientific fields (medicine, chemistry, space science);
  • Credit: INFLPR-CETAL

    ii) Laser Materials Processing Laboratory (CETAL-LaMP) supports fundamental research and industrial applications in the field of laser materials processing. The R&D focuses on laser processing of various materials (polymers, glasses, ceramics, metals, composites) at macro-, micro- and nanometer scale;

  • iii) Photonic Investigations Laboratory (CETAL-PhIL) is focusing on application and development of optical characterization techniques to the study of solid-state and biological phenomena at micro- and nanoscale. New technologies are applied and developed for material characterization, optical interrogation and study of phenomena at cellular level.

PHOTOPLASMAT provides a broad range of functional properties characterization systems and lithographic facilities: from synthesis and characterization of nano- and micro-structures to device integration. The research activity is focused on the expanding the laser/plasma/radiation material processing technologies at industrial standards for semiconductor and sensing applications: thin films can be obtained on 8 ” (200 mm) wafer Pulsed Laser Deposition system, 8 ” (200mm) wafer Magnetron Sputtering, 8” (200mm) wafer E-beam system. Broad range of lithographic technique facilities are available- up to 8 ” (200mm) wafer Photolithography system/ Focused Ion Beam- SEM and up to 6” Nanolithography E-beam systems, together with state-of the-art systems for properties characterization (optical, morphological, structural, electrical and magnetic) of materials, including here transmission electron microscopy system (HR-TEM/4D STEM) up to 300kV (50 pm resolution limit) and latest 4D STEM Electron Micro-scope Pixelated Array Detectors.

Services for industry
Power generation

Analysis, consulting, feasibility studies, microscopy, technology development, tech transfer

  • Expertise in laser welding of batteries contacts made of dissimilar materials, development of laser welding technologies, manufacturing of an automatized laser welding machine currently used by a company on the assebly line. Trainnig for the company personnel.
Automotive

Analysis, consulting, feasibility studies, microscopy, technology development, tech transfer

Expertise in laser welding of complex shaped pipes for air conditioners in cars. Our team developped the laser welding technology on 3D parts and transferred the technology to be integrated in an automatized laser welding machine with 16 degrees of freedom.

Consulting, feasibility studies, microscopy, surface processing, technology development, tech transfer

Development of a metal coating technology by laser cladding for a company, physical-chemical characterisation of depositions, assistance for equipment acquisition, technological transfer to the industrial beneficiary. Trainnig for the company personnel.

Medical technologies

Characterization, consulting, feasibility studies, materials processing, microscopy, surface processing, technology development, tech transfer

Development of a laser surface microstructuring technology for dental implant screws in view of enhancement of biocompatibility, technological transfer towards an industrial beneficiary

Equipment offered to external users
CETAL-PW
  • CETAL-PW: 25 – 30 fs ultrashort pulses Ti:Sapphire laser system (Thales) with peak power outputs up to 1 PW @ 0.1 Hz and 45 TW @ 10 Hz. Vacuum interaction chamber, 6 m3 aluminium box  with 1.3 x 2.5 m optical breadboard and 3 m long focal off-axis parabola or 0.4 m short focal length OAP, vacuum down to 10-6 mbar;
  • TEWALAS: 20 – 100 fs ultrashort pulses Ti:Sapphire laser system (Amplitude) with peak power outputs up to 15 TW @ 10 Hz. Vacuum reaction chamber with internal diameter 1200 m, 350 mm height of the cylindrical section, 250 mm height of the spherical covers, vacuum down to 10-5

Laser Materials Processing Laboratory (CETAL-LaMP)

The laboratory offers a collection of advanced experimental facilities that represent some of the latest technology available in the market. These facilities provide a robust technological platform that can develop a wide range of research initiatives and foster industrial collaborations. Access to technical infrastructure is offered to research groups and external partners, promoting a collaborative approach to innovation and discovery.

    • Laser system for 2D and 3D laser lithography Photonic Profesional – Nanoscribe GmbH, Germany; Femtosecond fiber laser Toptica – 120 fs; Zeiss inverted microscope; PIMars piezo stage 300 x 300 x 300 m3; Translation stage 100×100 mm2, Microscope Objectives: 100x oil, 100x DiLL, 63x, 20x;
    • Picosecocond laser workstation for microprocessing (galvano-scanners and ultraprecise stages): Laser source Lumera HyperRapid 50: Wavelengths 1064, 532, 355 nm; 500 kHz; < 10ps; Translation stages: PlanarDL 200XY – Aerotech Two Axis, 3 laser scanning heads for 3 wavelengths, G-script and CAD interpretation;
    • Tunable CW and pulsed (max. 5 KHz) CO2 Laser source with a beam diameter of 13 mm diameter and a power up to 1 KW;
    • Clean Room class 10.000 (ISO 7) – 100 m2;
    • Diode-pumped disk laser system with a beam quality of 4 mm·mrad and an available power up to 3 KW in continuous wave. The TruDisk is a high-power solid-state laser designed for welding, cutting, 3D printing, laser cladding and surface processing of metals. It excels in applications that require both high power and outstanding beam quality – TruDisk 3001 (Trumpf, Ditzingen, Germany);
    • Pulsed solid-state laser system that deliver short, high-energy pulses at elevated power levels. With pulse powers reaching several kilowatts (up to 5 kW) for durations of a few milliseconds (between 0.2 ms – 50 ms), these lasers are capable of spot and seam welding, even in scenarios where other methods may not succeed. They are particularly advantageous for thermally sensitive applications – TruPulse 62 (Trumpf, Ditzingen, Germany);
    • Disk laser (750 W max. power) that merges short pulse durations (30 ns) with high pulse energies (up to 80 mJ), even at elevated frequencies (between 5 and 100 KHz). As a result, these lasers are perfect for large-scale, rapid cleaning, ablation, or structuring process while ensuring maximum throughput – TruMicro 7050 (Trumpf, Ditzingen, Germany);
    • High-precision 5-axis laser machine that can be used for welding and cutting in two or three dimensions. In addition, the laser machine is also ideal for surface microstructuring via a galvanometric scanner (PFO 20) – TruLaser Cell 3010 (Trumpf, Ditzingen, Germany);
    • High-flexible system that includes a 6-axis industrial robotic mechanism with joint kinematics (Kuka KR30HA) and a positioner (KUKA DKP 400) with 2 degrees of freedom for turning and tilting of component clamping devices in relation to the position of the robot. The system is ideal for laser melting deposition (LMD). The optics include two nozzles for powder delivery, through 3 channels or coaxial and a powder distributor (GTV, Verschleißschutz GmbH, Germany). The powder is transported from the distributor through a hose (Ø=6 mm) to the processing optics where, via the delivery nozzle, it is directed into the laser spot (Ø=800 μm) which is focused on the substrate and in a layer-by-layer manner can create 3D objects or functional coatings – TruLaser ROBOT 5020.

Laser processing can be effectively monitored using thermal imaging devices such as the Micro-Epsilon M-1 and M-05 (Ortenburg, Bayern, Germany) as well as high-speed cameras like the Photron Mini AX-100 (Tokyo, Japan). The results from the laser processing can then be investigated through metallographic preparation, involving the utilization of a cutting machine (Brillant 200, ATM Qness GmbH, Mammelzen, Germany), a mounting system (Opal 400, ATM Qness GmbH, Mammelzen, Germany) and a polishing machine (Saphir 520, ATM Qness GmbH, Mammelzen, Germany).

 

Photonic Investigations Laboratory (CETAL-PhIL)

offers innovative photonic solutions to complex problems in material research, optics and life sciences.

    • Photonic Biosystems Facility: carry out research on ultrafast 2D/3D laser microfabrication for generation of biomimetic surfaces, scaffolds and microfluidic devices such as Lab-on-Chip systems for biomedical applications. Equipment available: high repetition rate laser processing platforms; morphological characterizations (SEM, AFM); wettability (contact angle and surface free energy, Kruss DSA25); optical microscopy platform, including time-lapse (Olympus) and spinning disk (Nikon) systems; cell cultures laboratory.
    • Micro/Nano-Photonic Devices: Laser fabrication and characterization of photonic devices, integrated optics, surface patterning.
    • Spectroscopic Investigations Facility: THz Pulsed Imaging and Spectroscopy, Raman Micro-spectrometry; Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy; Spectrofluorimetry; Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Shimadzu AA-7000), transient optical response and angle-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy.
    • Optical Metrology Facility: a) laboratory characterization, calibration and validation services for field spectrometers metrology, b) development of mobile systems for calibration validation of these systems in their working conditions (field conditions) and c) research investigations on optical components and optical systems capabilities.
    • Optical Fibers Laboratory: metrological characterization of devices based on optical fibers for sensing applications in ionizing radiation/nuclear environment, structural monitoring, sustainable environment or space-born systems. Dedicated infrastructure includes optical interrogators , OTDR/OFDR (1510nm -1590nm), optical spectrum analyzers (700nm-1800nm) and spectrometers in VIS-NIR for spectral characterization.
    • Vibrometry and Shocks Facility: The laboratory offers a wide range of vibrometry related services. We perform tests according to the following standards: ESA, TUV, MILD, etc. Vibration simulations are induced using a Dongling ES-30 shaker and PCB accelerometers are utilized for data reading.

 

PHOTOPLASMAT
    • Workstation of Pulsed Laser Deposition: up to 8” (200mm) substrate diameter,  up to 4 integrated targets (minimum 3 targets), deposition temperature:  room temperature – up to 800⁰C; Second System: up to 4” substrate diameter, simultaneous deposition from 2 different target, deposition temperature:  room temperature – up to 700⁰C;
    • Workstation magnetron sputtering / E-beam : up to 8” (200mm) substrate diameter,  4 magnetron guns, 4-port e-beam source, RGA analyzer, Thin film thickness monitoring.
    • 300kV 4D STEM/HRTEM-  High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-(S)TEM) Spectra 300: State-of the-art transmission electron microscopy system up to 300kV (50 pm resolution limit) and latest 4D STEM EMPAD; New ultra-high resolution (X-FEG UltiMono) source, Single electron sensitive STEM detection; Dual-X EDX system with two 100 mm2 large racetrack SSD; 2.2 srad solid angle.
    • Plasma processing robotic workstation: jet type plasma source with atmospheric pressure operation, surface treatment / deposition speed up to 20 m/min.
    • 8 ” (200mm) wafer Photolithography system: complete IDONUS Photolithography System including mask alignment system and coating / development system up to 8” (200 mm) wafer
    • 8″  (200mm) Focused Ion Beam- SEM : High-resolution SEMIFIB for 2D and 3D material characterization and analysis.
    • 6” (150mm) Nanolithography  E-beam systems: down to 20 nm stitching-free resolution.
    • Fully integrated systems for production of transparent ceramics for active laser media, various advanced materials and nanomaterials: Cold isostatic press, Hot isostatic press. Oven 1800 C, Oven 1800 C in oxygen, Oven 3,000 ° C (vacuum, H2, inert gasses)
    • Cryosystems for testing electrical, transport and magnetic properties (Lakeshore and Janis): testing electrical and magnetic properties for thin layers and nanostructures ( I-V,  C-V, electrical resistivity magnetoresistivity)  over a wide temperature range (4.2 K – 725 K) with possibility  of laser  irradiation of the samples during
    • Sensor testing system under controlled conditions: up to 4 process gases, 450 °Celsius, humidity control 10-90%.
    • Tribonanoindenter: identification range: 100 μm; Load range: 50 mN or 100 mN max; Resolution: 0.003 nm; Depth noise floor: 0.03 nm; Load resolution: 3 nN; Load noise floor: ~ 0.1 mN; Reference with own piezo actuator and load sensor; Drift ~ 1ppm / ° C
    • Large area solar simulator and photovoltaic quantum spectral efficiency test system: Monochromator with 300 mm focal lengt; Variable range 350 – 1800 nm; Condensing and focusing optics; Collimated area 110 x 110 mm; Spectral and temporal class A
    • Spectroellipsometer- spectral range 190 – 2100 nm;  Temperature range 190 – 350 °C; Measured area 200 x 200 mm (thickness mapping over 8-inch wafer);  Scan time across the entire spectrum of 15 min; Variable diameter of the incident spot 80 microns -1 mm
    • Surface energy / wettability measuring equipment: Automated system for contact angle determination (in the range of 1-180 degrees, resolution 0.1 degrees) and surface energy; Automatic dosing system with 3 liquids, drop resolution of 0.1 microliters; Temperature controlled room (30 – 160 ° C); Humidity control system (15 – 85%).