Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Thin Film and Interface Research (CTFIR)

薄膜在美国电子、汽车、珠宝和相关行业中发挥着越来越重要的作用，这些行业在国际领域的竞争力取决于开发新的、更好的方法来生产具有最佳特性的涂层，以满足特定应用。该奖项由布朗大学和罗德岛大学共同建立了薄膜和界面研究的产业/大学合作研究中心(CTFIR)。CTFIR的研究将旨在解决阻碍这种新薄膜和涂层发展的科学和技术问题，并将重点放在：薄膜和界面的表征；沉积方法(特别是高通量方法，如溅射)和金属、半导体和绝缘薄膜的生长；在恶劣环境下的耐腐蚀涂层；外科植入物的涂层；用于各种电子应用的薄膜；太阳能电池和晶体管等薄膜半导体器件；用于半导体器件钝化层的薄膜；用于高功率激光和光纤应用的光学涂层的薄膜；包括朗缪尔-布洛杰特薄膜和溅射生产的高温超导薄膜在内的聚合物薄膜。该中心的行业咨询委员会已经成立，由12名行业成员组成，罗德岛州将提供100万美元，以装备一个最先进的诊断实验室。该中心由材料工程和加工代理项目主任J.Larsen-Basse博士协调。项目经理建议在五(5)年内每年奖励布朗大学10万美元，以启动布朗大学和罗德岛大学之间的这个联合中心。作为一个联合中心机构，罗德岛大学将从布朗大学获得一份分包合同，用于支付NSF五年期间年度支持的大约一半(50,000美元)。每12个月接近结束时，项目经理和/或跨学科研究司司长将审查中心的一些更新标准的进展情况，包括：(1)大学/行业互动和合作的发展程度；(2)中心的支助基础扩大的程度；(3)一个健全的研究计划正在发展的程度。如果审查令人满意，项目经理将建议支持下一阶段的持续拨款。

Thin films play an ever more important role in the U.S. electronics, automotive, jewelry and related industries whose competitiveness in the international area depends on developing new and better ways to produce coatings having the best characteristics for specific applications. This award establishes an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Thin Film and Interface Research (CTFIR) jointly between Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. Research at the CTFIR will aim at solving the scientific and technological problems which are impeding the development of such new thin films and coatings, and will focus on: characterization of films and interfaces; methods of deposition (especially high through-put methods such as sputtering) and growth of metal, semiconductor and insulator films; coatings for corrosion resistance in harsh environments; coatings for surgical implants; coatings for various electronic applications; thin film semiconductor devices like solar cells and transistors; films for passivating layers for semiconductor devices; films for optical coatings in high power laser and fiber optic applications; polymer films including Langmuir-Blodgett films and high temperature superconducting films produced by sputtering. The Industry Advisory Board for the Center has been established with 12 industry members, and the State of Rhode Island will provide $1M to equip a state-of-the-art diagnostics laboratory. This Center was coordinated with Dr. J. Larsen-Basse, Acting Program Director for Materials Engineering and Processing. The Program Manager recommends that Brown University be awarded $100,000 each year for five (5) years for the initiation of this joint Center between Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. As a Co-Center institution, the University of Rhode Island will receive a subcontract from Brown University for approximately half ($50,000) of the NSF annual support for the five year period. Near the end of each 12-month period, the Program Manager and/or Director of The Division of Cross-Disciplinary Research will review the progress of the Center on a number of renewal criteria, including the following: (1) extent to which university/industry interaction and collaboration is developing; (2) extent to which the support base for the center is expanding; (3) extent to which a robust research program is developing. If review is satisfactory, the Program Manager will recommend support of the next period of this continuing grant.