PLASMA AND VACUUM

CHAIRMEN

Plasma and vacuum science and technology, are widely used in a great variety of synthesis and characterization processes used in materials science, as well as in many industrial developments.

Plasmas are quasineutral distributions of particles (ions, electrons, neutral molecules and atoms), which exhibit collective effects; such as, Debye shielding, plasma oscillations, acoustic waves and sheath formation. Plasmas occur more commonly than usually considered; more than 99% of the known universe consists of plasmas. Plasma research has led, not only to a better understanding of the universe, but to many practical uses: new manufacturing techniques and consumer products.

The term “Vacuum” describes pressure conditions below standard atmospheric pressure. Vacuum technology is applied to all processes and physical measurement carried out under vacuum conditions.

A large variety of deposition and characterization techniques work under vacuum conditions and many of them make use of plasmas

•         Sputtering   
•          Pulsed Laser Deposition              
•          Plasma Enhanced CVD                
•          Plasma Assisted MBE     
•          Atomic Layer Deposition                    
•          Plasma Polymerization
•          Plasma Etching
•          Closed Space Sublimation           
•          and any other PVD techniques
•         Inductively Coupled Plasma
•         Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
•         Mass Spectroscopies
•         Scanning Probe Microscopies (SEM, STM) 
•         X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
•         etc.

Furthermore, plasmas can occur within liquids, either during Cavitation phenomena or by laser ablation, the later allowing for the synthesis of Nanoparticles.

Although plasma and vacuum science and technology are often considered to be mature fields, with little new developments; in fact, arc processes, nanotechnology and biomaterials continue to provide and demand new research in this field.

We invite you to present in this symposium your latest research, observations and developments in this very important basic area of study.