Peter Leisner

Research

All materials technology research should contribute to progress towards a more sustainable society.  This means that available resources are used efficiently, but it also means improved protection against break down and accidents originating from materials failure. Coatings with functional characteristics are a part of this. Each year wear and corrosion cause damage to constructions worth billions of euros. This is essentially a surface technology problem, where even small improvements in technology have great effect. One can also imagine more groundbreaking solutions, e.g. coatings that are easier to clean, or even self-cleaning, or surfaces that are antibacterial when illuminated.  As well as, surfaces that improve the efficiency of heat exchangers and solar cells. A surface is only satisfactory when it performs the desired functionality and is able to maintain the functionality during its entire service life in the intended application environment. Therefore several technological properties have to be combined to create a functional materials and surface.

Our research in surface technology is focused on metallic and ceramic coatings produced by chemical, electrochemical or vacuum deposition processes, including methods for evaluation of material structures and properties. The purpose is to study how process parameters affect the microstructure of the coating, which in turn determines the material properties of the coating, e.g. low friction, resistance to abrasion and corrosion or low electrical resistance. The gained knowledge can be used to tailor coatings with desired properties. Mathematical modeling and optimization are important tools to achieve this.

Within the research area materials and manufacturing, we work according to a concept where design and modification of surface and bulk material is considered as an integrated material system. Thereby, properties not otherwise achievable for a bulk material without coating can be achieved in a cost-effective way. We address both the synthesis of coatings with controlled properties and the interaction of the coating with the substrate and the surrounding environment. It may for example, be light metal components within the automotive industry which need surface treatment to meet a required service life of 10 years or more in a demanding application environments.

Especially for the School of Engineering, it is interesting to apply the research in surface engineering of molded components thus to build on its strong position in foundry technology and thus contribute to further strengthening research in applied materials.

Teaching

Between 2002 and 2008 Peter Leisner was programme director of the research school for electronics design under the Knowledge Foundation. He has given PhD-courses in surface technology and electronics reliability and given numerous dedicated courses for industry. He has lectures about functional materials and surfaces in several courses.

Biography

Peter Leisner has a Master of Science in chemical engineering from DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, and a PhD in mechanics, also from DTU (1992). Until 1997 he worked at DTU as researcher and associate professor within surface technology at the Institute of Manufacturing Engineering. This included consultancy work for industry and research in coatings for electronics and electrochemical synthesis of nanomaterials. Between 1997 and 2006 he was group manager within Interconnect and Packaging at the Swedish microelectronics institute Acreo. In 2001 he was responsible for the establishment of the Centre for Robust Electronics in Jönköping; a cooperation between university, institute and industry. In 2006 he became adjunct professor in Embedded Systems at JTH. The same year he became  is head of the electronics department at SP Technical Research institute of Sweden now a part of RISE) where the research in materials for electronics and electrochmenical energy conversion since then has grown. By the reorganization of the research at JTH in 2011 the research of Peter Leisner became a part of Materials and Manufacturing. In January 2012 the subject of his adjunct professorship was changed to materials and manufacturing. Since 2019, Peter Leisner is professor on full time and head of the Materials and Manufacturing Department at JTH. Furthermore, he is president of European Academy of Surface Technology (EAST) and chairman of the industrial association Heavy Vehicles, as well as member of the board of Polymercentrum AB.