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Plasmas for micro- and nano-technologies
Plasma processing of materials is essential for the fabrication of micro- and nano-scale devices. In the industrial production of large-scale integrated circuits (for example, flash memory, CPU’s, mobile phones, CCD’s) many of the key steps are accomplished with plasmas, including deposition of thin films (conductors, semiconductors and insulators), implantation of dopant atoms and selective etching (through a mask) to create the nanoscale structures that comprise microelectronic devices. Other applications include the deposition of thin silicon films for solar photovoltaic and LCD screen manufacture. Although these technologies are the basis of a successful multi-billion dollar business, the basic science behind them is still often poorly understood. A better understanding is continually necessary to advance the state of the art.
Our group studies fundamental aspects of the physics of radiofrequency plasmas, the chemistry of reactive plasmas and the plasma-surface interactions behind these industrial processes. The approach is experimental (with an emphasis on developing and exploiting cutting-edge diagnostic methods), numerical (development of fluid and atomistic simulations) and theoretical (development of analytical models and scaling laws).
Current reserarch projects include:
- the study of atomic and molecular oxygen is a large area radiofrequency plasma reactor at intermediate pressures (~ 1 à 10 Torr)
