Magister Chirurgiae Dentium / Dental implants are artificial fixtures that are surgically inserted into the jaws to replace missing teeth. The success of dental implant treatment is dependent on achieving successful osseointegration (Branemark et al. 2001). Drills used for implant site preparation are made of different materials such as stainless steel (SS), zirconia and ceramic. Most of them do not have sufficient cutting efficiency and wear resistance (Oliveira et al. 2012). Recently diamond-like carbon coating (DLC) has been added as a drill coating to increase the cutting efficiency, increase wear resistance and drill hardness (Batista Mends et al. 2014).

Experiments with polarized "ultracold neutrons" (UCN) offer a new way to measure the decay correlations of neutron beta decay; these correlations can be used to test the completeness of the Standard Model and predict physics beyond it. Ultracold neutrons are very low energy neutrons that can be trapped inside of material and magnetic bottles. The decay correlations in combination with the neutron and muon lifetimes experimentally find the first element (Vud) of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) quark mixing matrix. The CKM matrix is a unitary transform between the mass and weak eigenstates of the d, s and b quarks; if the matrix is not unitary this would imply that the Standard Model is not complete. Currently the first row of the CKM matrix is over 2 sigma from unitarity and Vud is the largest component of the row. The UCNA experiment looks at the correlation between the polarization of the neutron and the momentum of the electron resulting from the beta decay of the neutron (the A-correlation). The keys to making a high precision measurement of A-correlation are a near 100% polarization of the neutrons that decay, low"backscatter electron detectors, and small, well characterized backgrounds. UCN can be 100% polarized by passing them through a seven Telsa magnetic field. The key to the UCNA experiment is keeping them polarized until they decay or are lost. This dissertation covers the development of guides that are minimally depolarizing and efficient transporters of UCN and their use in the UCNA experiment. The entire guide development process is covered from conception to manufacturing and testing. This process includes development of a pulsed laser deposition, diamond-like carbon coating system and materials studies of the resulting coatings. After the initial studies of the guide coating, meter"long sections of guide are tested with UCN to determine their depolarization and transport properties. The guide technology developed in this dissertation has been used in the entire UCNA experiment. Also, this technology is currently the state of the art for polarized and non-polarized UCN guide systems and it is being implemented in several new UCN experiments. / Ph. D.

Ce mémoire concerne l'élaboration de couches minces par ablation laser femtoseconde (Pulsed Laser Deposition, PLD) et la caractérisation du panache plasma. Les résultats obtenus pour le dépôt de couches minces de Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) sont présentés avec l'objectif de déposer des couches à grande dureté et faible coefficient de frottement, avec de bonnes propriétés d'adhérence sur divers substrats d'intérêt biomédical. Des couches minces ont pu être déposées avec succès sur une tête fémorale de prothèse de hanche. Les propriétés des DLC élaborés par PLD femtoseconde et nanoseconde PLD ont été comparées au travers des propriétés optiques des films et d'une caractérisation du plasma.<br>Des nanoparticules ont été déposées par PLD femtoseconde, et incluses dans une matrice DLC. Des films de DLC dopés au nickel ou tantale (en raison de leur différente affinité chimique avec le carbone) ont été synthétisés. Deux différentes phases cristallines sont obtenues dans le cas du DLC dope Ta, avec la présence surprenante d'une phase métastable β-Ta, qui est corrélée aux propriétés du plasma. La présence de carbure de tantale est également mise en évidence sur les bords des clusters de tantale.<br> Les films de DLC pur et de DLC dopé aux métaux sont caractérisés pour l'application aux électrodes pour biocapteurs, avec une sensibilité élevée et une faible limite de détection. L'optimisation avec l'incorporation d'un autre dopant, tel que le bore est discutée.<br> La possibilité d'utiliser ces couches de DLC dopé au bore pour des capteurs thermiques et nanocalorimétriques est étudiée dans le cadre d'un projet ANR. Les thermomètres à base de DLC avec un fort TCR (Coefficient de Température de Resistance) sont intégrés dans des structures suspendues, et montrent de bonnes propriétés.<br> Dans la dernière partie de ce mémoire, les perspectives envisagées pour ce travail sont présentées, avec l'introduction d'une mise en forme temporelle de l'impulsion laser femtoseconde et d'une boucle adaptative d'optimisation. Ces premiers travaux mettent bien en évidence les potentialités de cette technique, pour le dépôt couches minces et la synthèse de nanoparticules, permettant un contrôle de la nature et de l'énergie cinétique des particules du plasma. La suite de ce travail envisage donc de mieux comprendre les effets d'une mise en forme temporelle de l'impulsion laser femtoseconde sur les propriétés des produits d'ablation et donc des couches minces élaborées.

Ce travail concerne l'étude de couches minces de " Diamond-Like Carbon " dopés au bore élaborées par ablation laser femtoseconde et nanoseconde. Un des objectifs de cette étude est d'identifier les applications potentielles de ces films en tant qu'élément actif de capteur (par exemple de température). Le deuxième objectif est de corréler la structure et les propriétés des films minces obtenus avec les procédés de dépôt employés. Le premier chapitre présente les éléments constitutifs des couches minces étudiées : le bore et le carbone. Ce chapitre propose également un état de l'art sur les films de DLC purs et dopés et les méthodes d'élaboration existantes. Le deuxième chapitre traite des méthodes expérimentales adoptées pour l'élaboration et l'étude des films. Le troisième chapitre traite des différentes caractérisations structurales et morphologiques réalisées. Il met en avant la nette différence de structure des films obtenus par les deux procédés de dépôt. De plus, il met en évidence la modification structurale due au bore. Le quatrième chapitre présente l'étude des propriétés électriques et mécaniques, ainsi que du comportement tribologique des films. La différence de structure des couches se traduit par de grandes différences de résistivité mais affecte peu le coefficient de frottement. Le dernier chapitre met en évidence l'hétérogénéité structurale des films de DLC purs et se focalise notamment sur les particularités de leur extrême surface. Celle-ci se révèle moins dense et plus conductrice que le reste du film.

Le groupe HEF (Hydromécanique Et Frottements), premier équipementier et façonnier français en traitements de surface par plasmas hors microélectronique, utilise dans ses procédés industriels des sources plasma micro-onde multi-dipolaires fonctionnant sur le principe de la résonance cyclotronique électronique pour la réalisation de dépôts de type DLC par PACVD, et pour l'assistance ionique à la croissance de couches CrN par pulvérisation magnétron réactive. Suite à la présentation de l'utilisation de ces sources pour des dépôts de DLC et des ajustements nécessaires pour leur mise en œuvre industrielle, les travaux de cette thèse portent sur le développement de nouvelles sources plasma micro-onde en vue d'améliorer l'uniformité des traitements de surface dans le volume du réacteur ainsi que la productivité des réacteurs plasma pour le dépôt de ces couches. Les résultats obtenus sont intéressants puisque le développement d'une source étendue a permis d'augmenter la vitesse de dépôt des couches DLC sans dégradation des propriétés mécaniques et d'obtenir une uniformité similaire à celle obtenue avec les sources multi-dipolaires en utilisant deux fois moins d'applicateurs micro-onde. Les réflexions portant sur l'amorçage du plasma ont permis d'identifier les voies d'amélioration de cette source pour valider son utilisation en milieu industriel. L'utilisation de cette source étendue pour l'assistance ionique à la croissance de couches telles que le nitrure de chrome CrN par pulvérisation magnétron réactive a démontré un potentiel intéressant en termes de propriétés mécaniques obtenues et a permis d'identifier des axes de développement de cette configuration.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Lately, we have witnessed a growing concern about determining energy consumption and pollutant emissions. Large part of the energy spent is directly related to the friction and wear. Likewise, there a growing demand for production of mechanical systems of high efficiency. To develop systems that are more economical, noiseless and not harmful to the environment, there is a limit imposed by materials and conventional surface treatment. Thus, critical tribological contacts and possible new materials have been intensively investigated. Solid lubrication and solid lubricants are emerging as a promising alternative to control friction and wear in mechanical systems modern. The use of multifunctional coatings have been studied and used in modern mechanical systems, so that the final properties depend on the system composed of substrate - coating - environment. This study aims to optimize the thickness of multifunctional coatings with potential for use in mechanical systems of high efficiency, particularly on soft substrates. The aim is an optimization using the principles of contact mechanics, together with strength criteria to analyse stress and strain. Efficient techniques to characterize the coatings, and powerful simulation tools in the stress analysis of multifunctional coatings were used. The results showed that the thickness of the coating plays an important role on coating properties. / Ultimamente, tem-se presenciado uma preocupação cada vez mais determinante quanto ao consumo energético e emissões de poluentes. Grande parte da energia gasta está relacionada diretamente com o atrito e o desgaste. Há igualmente uma demanda crescente por produção de sistemas mecânicos de alta eficiência, mas, também, para desenvolver sistemas cada vez mais econômicos, silenciosos e não prejudiciais ao meio ambiente, havendo um limite imposto por materiais e tratamento de superfícies convencionais. Assim, a tribologia de contatos críticos e possíveis novos materiais estão sendo amplamente pesquisados. A lubrificação sólida e lubrificantes sólidos estão aparecendo como uma alternativa promissora para controlar o atrito e o desgaste nos sistemas mecânicos modernos. A utilização de revestimentos multifuncionais tem sido estudada e aplicada nos sistemas mecânicos modernos, de modo que as propriedades finais resultantes sejam dependentes do sistema substrato-revestimento-ambiente. O presente trabalho busca a otimização de tribo revestimentos multifuncionais com potencial para a aplicação em sistemas mecânicos de alta eficiência, particularmente sobre substratos macios. Busca-se essa otimização por meio da análise de tensões e deformações, as quais são compreendidas através do princípio da mecânica do contato, juntamente com os critérios de resistência. Usam-se técnicas de caracterização de revestimentos amplamente usadas e eficientes, como também ferramentas de simulação poderosas na análise de tensões de revestimentos multifuncionais. Os resultados demonstram que a espessura do revestimento tem um papel importante na origem das propriedades do revestimento. / Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

Amorphous, hydrogenated carbon films (a-C:H) have been prepared in a PECVD device from methane and ethine as the source gases.The aim was to deposit films at high growth rates while keeping high hardness (25 ± 3 GPa). Hardness, hydrogen content and surface roughness were investigated dependent on the process conditions. Further investigation showed, that the mechanical properties of the a-C:H films are determined by the energy of the ions and the ratio between the film forming ion and the film forming neutral fluxes. On the basis of the collected data the optimal deposition conditions were determined and suggestions for further improvement of the deposition were made. / Amorphe, wasserstoffhaltige Kohlenstoffschichten (a-C:H) wurden mittels PECVD-Verfahren abgeschieden, wobei Methan und Ethin als Quellgase verwendet wurde. Ziel war dabei die Abscheidung der Schichten mit hohen Aufwachsraten unter Beibehaltung hoher Härten (25 ± 3 GPa). Härte, Wasserstoffgehalt und Oberflächenrauhigkeit der Schichten wurden in Abhängigkeit von den Prozeßbedingungen untersucht. Weitere Untersuchungen zeigten, daß die mechanischen Eigenschaften der a-C:H Schichten von der Energie der Ionen und dem Verhältnis der schichtbildenden Ionen- und Neutralteilchenflüsse bestimmt werden. Auf der Grundlage der gewonnenen Daten können die optimalen Abscheidebedingungen festgelegt, und Vorschläge zur weiteren Verbesserung der Schichtabscheidung gemacht werden.

The use of ultracold neutrons (UCN) to study fundamental parameters such as the neutron lifetime and decay correlations in polarized neutron beta decay are poised to make significant contributions to our understand of the Standard Model and its extensions. To this end, the UCNA experiment is pursuing a precision measurement (0.2%) of the angular correlation between the neutron spin and the direction of emission of the electron in polarized neutron decay (the ``A'' asymmetry). The UCNA experiment makes use of the spallation-driven solid deuterium (SD2) UCN source at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). The UCN leave the source and are 100% polarized by passing through a strong magnetic field before their decay is observed by a very sensitive electron spectrometer. UCN guides facilitate the transfer of UCN from the source to the spectrometer. Common guide materials include stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and quartz. Often a thin film is applied to these components to increase their ability to transport/bottle and preserve the polarization of UCN. In the region of the SD2 UCN source, nickel-58 films are applied, whereas once the UCN are polarized, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are employed. This dissertation covers the application, process developments, and characterization of these coatings. In addition a study concerning the surface finish resulting from the mechanical polishing and electropolishing of the guides that make up the UCNA beamline is presented. / Ph. D.

Um dos desafios mais importantes para a indústria de bens eletrônicos de consumo é o desenvolvimento de um dispositivo mostrador de informação (display) que tenda aos requisitos de alta qualidade de imagem, grande área, baixo consumo de energia e baixo custo. O display de comissão de campo (field emission display, ou FED) representa a tecnologia com maior potencial para atender a estes requisitos. No entanto a baixa durabilidade e a baixa confiabilidade dos protótipos baseados em emissores metálicos impedem que esta tecnologia entre no mercado. Neste trabalho, investigam-se duas abordagens que podem representar urna solução para estas deficiências: a melhora do vácuo na câmara de emissão e o emprego de nanotubos de carbono como emissores. No que se refere a melhora das propriedades de vácuo num FED, este trabalho propõe um novo tipo de emissor baseado em uma membrana porosa. Cálculos teóricos referentes as propriedades de vácuo e ao fator de amplificação do campo eletrostático são apresentados para esta nova configuração, sendo proposto um modelo para determinar o limite superior do fator de amplificação do campo. No que se refere a parte experimental, e demonstrado que membranas porosas de diamante de fato funcionam como emissores, de acordo com a proposta. O desempenho destas membranas e comparado com o de condutores metálicos planos, com e sem um recobrimento de diamond-like carbon. São apresentadas imagens dos spots de emissão em poros, e um estudo da estabilidade de emissão de longo prazo e realizado. No que se refere aos nanotubos de carbono este trabalho propõe um novo processo de tratamento dos nanotubos em arco de plasma que resulta em melhora das propriedades de emissão destas estruturas. Um estudo da estabilidade de emissão dos nanotubos também e apresentado, sendo que uma degradação sistemática da emissão e relatada para o caso de nanotubos mono-parede (single-wall). / One of the most important challenges to the electronics industry is the production of a flat panel display which fulfills the requirements of high quality image, large area low power and low cost. Field Emission Display (FED) is the technology in best conditions to face these requirements. However, the short lifetime and low reliability of FED prototypes based on metallic emitters are hindering this technology to get into the market. In this work we investigate two different approaches that could represent a solution for these problems: improvement of the vacuum characteristics inside the emission chamber and use of carbon nanotubes as emitters. With respect to the improvement of vacuun in a FED, this work proposes a new type of emitter based on a porous diamond membrane. Theoretical calculations referent to the vacuum properties and referent to electrostatic field enhancement factor are presented. A new model is proposed to determine the superior limit for the eletrostatic field enhancement factor in a porous emitter. With respect to the experimental part of this work, we show that diamond porous membranes indeed emit electrons, according to the original proposition. The emission performance of these membranes is compared to the performance of flat metalic emitters, coated or Dot with diamond-like carbon. Images of emission spots in pores and a study of the long term membrane emission stability are presented. With respect to carbon nanotubes this work presents a. new treatment process, under plasma arc, that resulted in emission improvement. A study all emission stability of nanotubes is also presented, and systematical emission decay is reported for single-wall nanotubes.

Um dos desafios mais importantes para a indústria de bens eletrônicos de consumo é o desenvolvimento de um dispositivo mostrador de informação (display) que tenda aos requisitos de alta qualidade de imagem, grande área, baixo consumo de energia e baixo custo. O display de comissão de campo (field emission display, ou FED) representa a tecnologia com maior potencial para atender a estes requisitos. No entanto a baixa durabilidade e a baixa confiabilidade dos protótipos baseados em emissores metálicos impedem que esta tecnologia entre no mercado. Neste trabalho, investigam-se duas abordagens que podem representar urna solução para estas deficiências: a melhora do vácuo na câmara de emissão e o emprego de nanotubos de carbono como emissores. No que se refere a melhora das propriedades de vácuo num FED, este trabalho propõe um novo tipo de emissor baseado em uma membrana porosa. Cálculos teóricos referentes as propriedades de vácuo e ao fator de amplificação do campo eletrostático são apresentados para esta nova configuração, sendo proposto um modelo para determinar o limite superior do fator de amplificação do campo. No que se refere a parte experimental, e demonstrado que membranas porosas de diamante de fato funcionam como emissores, de acordo com a proposta. O desempenho destas membranas e comparado com o de condutores metálicos planos, com e sem um recobrimento de diamond-like carbon. São apresentadas imagens dos spots de emissão em poros, e um estudo da estabilidade de emissão de longo prazo e realizado. No que se refere aos nanotubos de carbono este trabalho propõe um novo processo de tratamento dos nanotubos em arco de plasma que resulta em melhora das propriedades de emissão destas estruturas. Um estudo da estabilidade de emissão dos nanotubos também e apresentado, sendo que uma degradação sistemática da emissão e relatada para o caso de nanotubos mono-parede (single-wall). / One of the most important challenges to the electronics industry is the production of a flat panel display which fulfills the requirements of high quality image, large area low power and low cost. Field Emission Display (FED) is the technology in best conditions to face these requirements. However, the short lifetime and low reliability of FED prototypes based on metallic emitters are hindering this technology to get into the market. In this work we investigate two different approaches that could represent a solution for these problems: improvement of the vacuum characteristics inside the emission chamber and use of carbon nanotubes as emitters. With respect to the improvement of vacuun in a FED, this work proposes a new type of emitter based on a porous diamond membrane. Theoretical calculations referent to the vacuum properties and referent to electrostatic field enhancement factor are presented. A new model is proposed to determine the superior limit for the eletrostatic field enhancement factor in a porous emitter. With respect to the experimental part of this work, we show that diamond porous membranes indeed emit electrons, according to the original proposition. The emission performance of these membranes is compared to the performance of flat metalic emitters, coated or Dot with diamond-like carbon. Images of emission spots in pores and a study of the long term membrane emission stability are presented. With respect to carbon nanotubes this work presents a. new treatment process, under plasma arc, that resulted in emission improvement. A study all emission stability of nanotubes is also presented, and systematical emission decay is reported for single-wall nanotubes.