THE GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE ON PLASMA PROCESSING SCIENCE (GRC-PPS-2006):

Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal Number: CTS-0613727 Principal Investigator: Alexander Fridman Institution: Drexel University Proposal Title: The Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science (GRC-PPS-2006) The next 2006 Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science (GRC-PPS) will be held 16-21 July 2006 at the Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. The GRC-PPS will bring together leading authorities, as well as beginning researchers, engineers and scientists, in the area of plasma processing science to exchange information and ideas concerning the most recent advances and future directions in this field. The Gordon Research Conference on Plasma Processing Science (GRCPPS) is a bi-annual meeting with intellectual merit focusing on both the fundamental science and advanced applications of plasmas, particularly in the context of industrial processes where materials are modified or fabricated. A continuing feature of the GRC-PPS, and its predecessor the GRC on Plasma Chemistry, is the active involvement of students and post-doctoral fellows. The GRC-PPS sees as its charter not only to be a forum for exchange of the state of the art in plasma processing science, but also to be a tutorial environment for those new to the field. This tutorial experience is obtained through the formal lectures and lively discussions at the poster sessions, and by the opportunities the students have to interact with the leaders in the field during the informal discussion times. The present NSF award continues this tradition of active student participation by providing partial support for graduate and postdoctoral students for travel expenses and registration fees to attend the GRC-PPS. Some portion of the funding will be used to extend participation of specialists from industry to intensify university-industry collaboration in the plasma processing science. In the usual style of Gordon Research Conferences, the meeting will have a relatively small number of talks (approximately 30), chosen to be at the leading edge of the field and to promote active discussion among all participants both inside and outside the formal sessions. Total attendance will be limited to approximately 140. We have had in the past, and anticipate having at the 2006 meeting, a mix of participants from academia, industry and national labs. Given the applied nature of the subject matter, GRC-PPS has made a special effort to invite industrial researchers as attendees, post-presenters, invited speakers and discussion leaders. This time we are going to stimulate especially the industrial presence, even using some portion of the NSF support to do so. The planned topics and invited speakers for the 2006 GRC-PPS reflect the interdisciplinary, applied nature of the subject, and geographic and ethnic diversity and minority representation of the science and technology of the field. Invited speakers come from industry and universities in the US, Western Europe, and South East Asia. The gathering of the experts and their discourse make up the broader impacts of the conference.