Plasma-based synthesis and etching of innovative materials at the nanoscale

在未来几年，材料科学和工程的创新将取决于我们在纳米级控制材料结构的能力，以便设计具有定制特性（电，光，磁等）的新材料。将物质独特地排列在纳米笼中的最有力的手段之一是使用等离子体，因为它们具有同时提供各种粒子（如电子、离子、中性原子和自由基以及光子）的独特能力。 正如美国能源部2008年的报告《低温等离子体科学：不仅是物质的第四态，而且是所有物质的第四态》中所述，“独特的非平衡环境以及等离子体产生的反应性和带电物质的组合提供了合成和修饰纳米尺寸材料的方法，这些方法可能无法通过任何其他方法实现。然而，对活性自由基、离子、电子和光子如何与纳米材料相互作用的基本理解，对于扩展当前的技术水平以产生科学上令人兴奋的和技术上重要的发现是必要的。从一开始，我的愿景就是在各个学科的前沿从事这一肥沃的领域，并在材料科学和技术方面产生大量令人兴奋的新知识。 根据这一愿景，我的第一个研究重点是进行先进等离子体源的前沿基础研究，以了解等离子体特性和材料结构之间的关系，从微米到纳米级。这些来源包括激光产生的等离子体，电感耦合等离子体和介质阻挡放电。我的第二个优先事项是利用这种等离子体专业知识，以实现许多具有挑战性的目标，包括（i）合成薄膜或纳米颗粒形式的创新材料，重点是具有可以通过施加外部刺激来调节的电和/或光学特性的材料（电场、光信号、温度），和（ii）等离子体蚀刻以在各种材料中制造真正纳米级尺寸的物体。我的第三个优先事项是与学术和/或工业研究人员合作，利用这些先进的微米和纳米纤维工艺（等离子体合成和蚀刻），以测试RF和光子器件和传感器的新概念。 除了其科学和技术的影响，这个跨学科的研究计划的一个主要好处是，它提供了高水平的科学/技术培训，以积极的高素质人员（HQP）通过广泛的技能和专业知识，从等离子体科学，材料合成，蚀刻和表征设备制造和测试。该HQP将成为学术界和加拿大高科技产业未来的专业知识库。

In the coming years, innovation in materials science and engineering will reside in our ability to control at the nanoscale the structure of materials in order to design new materials with tailored properties (electrical, optical, magnetic, etc.). One of the most powerful means to uniquely arrange matter at the nanocale is to use plasmas due to their unique ability to provide simultaneously a variety of particles such as electrons, ions, neutral atoms and radicals, and photons. As stated in the 2008 report of the US Department of Energy, Low Temperature Plasma Science : Not Only the Fourth State of Matter but All of Them, “The unique nonequilibrium environment and the combination of reactive and charged species created by the plasma provide the means to synthesize and modify nanometer-sized materials in ways that may not be achieved by any other means. However, a fundamental understanding of how reactive radicals, ions, electrons, and photons interact with nano-materials is necessary for extending the current state of the art to produce scientifically exciting and technologically important discoveries.” From the very beginning, my vision was to engage myself in this fertile field at the cutting edge of various disciplines and that generates large amounts of exciting new knowledge in materials science and technology. According to this vision, my first research priority is to perform leading edge fundamental studies of advanced plasma sources in order to understand the relationship between plasma characteristics and materials structure from micro- to nanoscale. These sources include laser-produced plasmas, inductively-coupled plasmas and dielectric barrier discharges. My second priority is to capitalize on this plasma expertise in order to achieve many challenging objectives that encompass (i) synthesis of innovative materials in the form of thin films or nanoparticles, the emphasis being on materials with electrical and/or optical properties that can be tuned by applying external stimuli (electrical field, optical signal, temperature), and (ii) plasma etching to fabricate objects of truly nanoscale dimensions in various materials. My third priority is to exploit in collaboration with academic and/or industrial researchers these advanced micro- and nanofabrication processes (plasma synthesis and etching) in order to test new concepts in RF and photonic devices and sensors. In addition to its scientific and technological impact, a major benefit of this interdisciplinary research program is that it provides high level of scientific/technical training to motivated Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) through a broad set of skills and expertise, ranging from plasma science, materials synthesis, etching and characterization to device fabrication and testing. This HQP will constitute a future pool of expertise for academia and for high-technology Canadian industries.