PM-8 2024 — Remote Temperature Control System for ZnO Fabrication

Nov 14, 2024·
Cătălin Creciunel
Cătălin Creciunel
,
Vladimir Ciobanu
,
Eduard V. Monaico
· 1 min read
International Colloquium Physics of Materials – PM-8
publications research

📍 Event: International Colloquium Physics of Materials – PM-8 🏛️ Location: University of Bucharest, Romania

At the PM-8 conference, I presented an optimized embedded solution designed to automate the thermal treatment process required for ZnO nanostructure fabrication.

🔬 Technical Implementation

The system bridges high-precision material synthesis with modern embedded logic:

  • Control Hardware: Implementation of optotriacs and BT138 triacs for safe 220V power modulation.
  • Real-time OS: Utilizing FreeRTOS on an ESP32 for simultaneous temperature monitoring, PID regulation, and network handling.
  • Web Interface: A custom dashboard for real-time tracking of thermal profiles and process logs.

🧪 Research Impact

The automated annealing process enabled by this setup allows for highly repeatable synthesis of ZnO. The resulting nanostructures were validated using:

  1. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) for morphology.
  2. EDX for elemental composition.
  3. XRD for crystalline phase purity.

Team & Support

  • Team: Cătălin Creciunel, Vladimir Ciobanu, Eduard V. Monaico.
  • Funding: Supported by the Institutional subprogram #02.04.02 and Youth research initiative #24.80012.5007.12TC.
Note
You can access the full collection of conference posters here: PM-8 Posters Archive (ZIP)
ZnO ESP32 FreeRTOS Temperature Control Nanostructures Conference
Cătălin Creciunel
Authors
Cătălin Creciunel (he/him)
Research Scientist & Embedded Systems Engineer
Cătălin Creciunel is a graduate of the Technical University of Moldova, specializing in microelectronics and nanotechnology. With over 5 years of experience as a Research Scientist, he has developed innovative solutions for semiconductor materials including ZnO, GaP, and InP through thermal treatment and anodization techniques. His expertise spans embedded software development in Python and C/C++, hardware design using CAD tools, and nanotechnology research including semiconductor and composite nanofiber production. Cătălin is dedicated to advancing technology through continuous learning and innovative contributions to microelectronics and embedded systems.