ABOUT
I completed my Ph.D. in Plasma Physics at Masaryk University in 2023. Thin films have become my main research focus during Applied Physics - Nanotechnology and later Plasma Physics study programs. I’m currently focused on research and development of metal-boron-carbon hard coatings, which are applicable for protecting the surface of tools. I’m experienced in designing and controlling laboratory and industrial coating systems and developing the deposition processes.
Academia provided me the knowledge about material sciences and experience with experimental work. I’ve gained extensive experience with scanning electron microscopes, x-ray microanalysis, structural analysis, and characterization of mechanical properties. The aspects of my research work also provided experience outside academia. I collaborate on research projects with industrial partners on deposition process development and material analysis. Therefore, I’m used to present the research results on private meetings and on international conferences as well. I learned the research management while solving projects that I received as part of grant calls, as well as projects on which I worked as a co-investigator.
Publications
Spatially resolved optical emission analysis of spokes in HiPIMS utilising Al, Cr, Cu, Ti, and W targets
Jaroslav HNILICA, Marta ŠLAPANSKÁ, Michael KROKER, Peter KLEIN & Petr VAŠINA.
Plasma Sources Science and Technology 33 (2024) 065009
Magnetron sputtered hard ternary coatings with enhanced fracture toughness
Michael KROKER
Dissertation (2023), Brno, Czech Republic
Industrially deposited hard and damage resistant W-B-C coatings
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ, Vilma BURŠÍKOVÁ, Zsolt Czigány, Vjačeslav Sochora, Katalin Balázsi, Mojmír Jílek & Petr VAŠINA.
Surface and Coatings Technology 454 (2023) 129150
Modelling of dcMS and HiPIMS process with hydrocarbon gas admixture
Matej FEKETE, Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Peter KLEIN & Petr VAŠINA.
Plasma Sources Science and Technology 31 (2022) 065008
Industrial Deposition of W-B-C Coatings: Properties and Process Modelling
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ, Vilma BURŠÍKOVÁ & Petr VAŠINA.
48th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (2022), San Diego, USA
Spatially resolved study of spokes in reactive HiPIMS discharge
Marta ŠLAPANSKÁ, Michael KROKER, Jaroslav HNILICA, Peter KLEIN & Petr VAŠINA.
Plasma Sources Science and Technology 31 (2022) 055010
Predicting the composition of W-B-C coatings sputtered from industrial cylindrical segmented target
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Marta ŠLAPANSKÁ, Vjačeslav SOCHORA, Mojmír JÍLEK & Petr VAŠINA
Surface and Coatings Technology 438 (2022) 128411
Single-shot spatial-resolved optical emission spectroscopy of argon and titanium species within the spoke
Marta ŠLAPANSKÁ, Michael KROKER, Jaroslav HNILICA, Peter KLEIN & Petr VAŠINA.
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 55 (2022) 035205
The Industrially Deposited W-B-C Coatings from Segmented Target
Michael KROKER, Pavol MATEJ, Pavel SOUČEK, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ, Vilma BURŠÍKOVÁ & Petr VAŠINA.
48th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (2021), San Diego, USA
Composition, Structure and Mechanical Properties of Industrially Sputtered Ta–B–C Coatings
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Pavol MATEJ, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ, Zsolt CZIGÁNY, Katalin BALÁZSI & Petr VAŠINA
Coatings 10(9) (2020) 853
On the origin of multilayered structure of W-B-C coatings prepared by non-reactive magnetron sputtering from a single segmented target
Michael KROKER, Zsolt CZIGÁNY, Zdeněk WEISS, Matej FEKETE, Pavel SOUČEK, Katalin BALÁZSI, Vjačeslav SOCHORA, Mojmír JÍLEK & Petr VAŠINA
Surface and Coatings Technology 377 (2019) 124864
On the origin of multilayered structure of W B C coatings prepared by non reactive magnetron sputtering from a single segmented target
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Matej FEKETE, Petr ZIKÁN, Adam OBRUSNÍK, Zsolt CZIGÁNY, Katalin BALÁZSI, Zdeněk WEISS & Petr VAŠINA.
46th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (2019), San Diego, USA
Hard and fracture resistant metal-boron-carbon based coatings deposited by industrial sputtering system
Michael KROKER, Zsolt CZIGÁNY, Zdeněk WEISS, Matej FEKETE, Pavel SOUČEK, Katalin BALÁZSI, Vjačeslav SOCHORA, Mojmír JÍLEK & Petr VAŠINA
Plathinium 2019, Antibes, France
Tvrdé PVD povlaky se zvýšenou lomovou houževnatosti
Michael KROKER, Vjačeslav SOCHORA, Pavel SOUČEK & Petr VAŠINA.
MM (Inovation/Machining) 2019/09
Influence of chemical composition on structure and mechanical properties of W-B-C coating deposited in industrial sputtering system
Petr VAŠINA, Michael KROKER, Matej FEKETE, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ & Vilma BURŠÍKOVÁ
83rd IUVSTA Workshop (2018), Vadstena, Sweden
Deposition and characterisation of nanolaminates
Michael KROKER
Master's thesis (2018), Brno, Czech Republic
Feasibility study of WBC synthesis from segmented magnetron target
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK & Petr VAŠINA
8th International Conference on Innovations in Thin Film Processing and Characterization (2017), Nancy, France
Properties of WBC coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering from industrial segmented target
Michael KROKER, Pavel SOUČEK, Lukáš ZÁBRANSKÝ, Vilma BURŠÍKOVÁ & Petr VAŠINA
6th International Conference on Reactive Sputter Deposition (2017), Pilsen, Czech Republic
Development of industrial technology for deposition of DLC thin films
Michael KROKER
Bachelor's Thesis (2016), Brno, Czech Republic