Fundamentals of plasma-surface interactions in complex materials processing

作为蒙大略省大学物理系的一名新聘教授，我计划开发一个雄心勃勃的研究项目，研究复杂材料加工中的等离子体-表面相互作用。我的研究动机与提高对低温等离子体加工所涉及的物理和化学现象的宏观和微观水平的了解有关，这是优化薄膜和纳米材料特性以满足特定技术应用所需的迫切需要。重点将放在非晶态和纳米晶半导体氧化物的生长、功能化和纳米级刻蚀上，如氧化锌、氧化铟、氧化铟和氧化铟、氧化镓和氧化锌。这些材料展示了各种先进的电子、光电子和光子设备的前景，包括灵活和廉价的薄膜晶体管、太阳能电池、气体和生物传感器。研究将通过一种详尽的、多学科的方法来实现，通过将使用各种光学、电学和波诊断获得的等离子体特性、通过原位和非原位分析确定的加工材料的特性以及微细和纳米加工设备的特性相关联来实现。从这些基础研究中产生的基本知识预计将在等离子体加工工具的优化和开发中发挥关键作用，这些工具将是应对微米和纳米器件制造中当前和未来挑战所必需的。该项目也是对加拿大实际研究工作的极好补充，特别是与实施CFI和魁北克政府最近授予的“实验室科学与应用等离子体”相关的研究工作。此外，由于它同时涉及低温等离子体的物理、表面和界面的物理和化学，以及先进的微米和纳米级设备的设计、制造和表征，该计划有望培养具有独特学科间技能的高素质研究人员，这些技能可以很容易地整合到加拿大的各个高科技部门。

As a newly hired professor in the physics department of Université de Montréal, I am planning to develop an ambitious research program on plasma-surface interactions in complex materials processing. The driving motivation of my research is related to the crucial needs for advancing the macro and microscopic level of understanding of physical and chemical phenomena involved in low-temperature plasma processing, as required for optimizing the characteristics of thin films and nanomaterials for a given technological application. A particular emphasis will be put on the growth, functionalization, and nanometer scale etching of amorphous and nanocrystalline semiconducting oxides such as zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide, indium gallium oxide, and indium gallium zinc tin oxide. These materials show promises for a wide variety of advanced electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices, including flexible and inexpensive thin film transistors, solar cells, gas and bio-sensors. Studies will be realized through an exhaustive, multi-disciplinary approach by correlating the plasma characteristics obtained using a wide variety of optical, electrical, and wave diagnostics, the properties of processed materials determined by both in-situ and ex-situ analysis, and the characteristics of micro- and nanofabricated devices. The basic knowledge generated from these fundamental studies is expected to play a crucial role in the optimization and development of plasma-based processing tools that will be needed to meet current and future challenges in micro and nanoscale device manufacturing. This program also represents an excellent complement to actual research efforts in Canada, in particular those associated with the implementation of the "Laboratoire en Science et Applications des Plasmas" recently awarded by the CFI and Quebec government. Moreover, since it deals simultaneously with the physics of low-temperature plasmas, the physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces, and the design, fabrication, and characterization of advanced micro and nanoscale devices, this program is expected to lead to the training of highly qualified researchers with unique intersciplinary skills that can easily be integrated in various Canadian high-technology sectors.