Title: Atomic Layer Deposition and Etching: From surface science to surface engineering

Abstract: Atomically precise modification of surfaces and interfaces lead to improved understanding and significant enhancements in properties and performance of complex, heterogenous material systems. This talk highlights the impact of few monolayer films fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and atomic layer etching (ALE) on a variety of surfaces and interfaces with direct relevance to electronic, optical & energy devices.

ALD is a deposition technique that produces superbly conformal films with monolayer precision. ALE is the opposite of ALD, where vapor phase-based isotropic etching removes materials with monolayer precision. The first part of the talk will discuss the fundamental processes that are active during ALD / ALE of materials on various surfaces. These processes are studied using in situ techniques such as, mass spectrometry and ellipsometry. In situ studies help tease out mechanistic aspects of the deposition. The second part of the talk will highlight the positive and sometimes dramatic impact of few monolayers of metals, insulators and semiconductors on surfaces of electronic and optical devices.

Regardless of the applications, ALD / ALE at its ultimate operational thickness limit hold great potential for surface and interface engineering. The control of these processes appear to be simple and yet, have remarkable complexities that continue to push the boundaries of discovery in materials and devices.

Biography: Dr. Parag Banerjee is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) with joint appointments in the Florida Solar Energy Center and the Nano Science and Technology Center. He is the co-lead for the Faculty Cluster Initiative’s Catalysis cluster - all at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando. Prior to this, Professor Banerjee was a Process R&D Engineer at Micron Technology Inc., in Boise from 2000 - 2006, and a tenure-track faculty at Washington University in St. Louis from 2011-2018.
Professor Banerjee’s group focusses on understanding the science and engineering of thin film processes using a variety of in situ probes to accelerate process development. In particular, his group investigates atomic layer deposition (ALD) and atomic layer etching (ALE) processes, unraveling new film chemistries including oxides, nitrides, sulfides and metals, while pushing the application areas into new and unchartered territories as diverse as, plasmonics, laser fibers and supercapacitors and drug delivery. His work has been supported in the past by NSF, DoE and ARO and currently supported by NSF, the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and multiple private companies. His group has 100+ publications, and he holds 12 U.S. and international patents.
Professor Banerjee serves on the advisory board for AVS ALD and AVS Thin Films (TFD) and is the current Chair of the Electronic Materials and Photonics Divisions (EMPD). He also served as the first director of the ABET-accredited, undergraduate program for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCF. Professor Banerjee holds an undergraduate degree in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Roorkee India, and a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Maryland.