福利姬

Research

Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) is a fundamental process used in the fabrication of surface coatings and thin films of various materials. CVD processes are used to manufacture all types of microelectronic components and are one of the core technologies underlying our everyday lives in the semiconductor age. But CVD is also a key technology for producing cutting tools for metal machining. My research focuses on understanding and controlling the chemical processes involved in CVD and on developing improved and more sustainable CVD processes.

Olov Planthaber

One of our ongoing projects investigates atomic layer processing (ALP) of various nitrides, that is, compounds formed between metals and nitrogen. In ALP, atoms are added to and removed from surfaces to build materials with atomic precision. A key focus here is the group 13 nitrides—AlN, GaN, InN—and their alloys, which are important semiconductors; for example, they are the basis for LEDs. Our research primarily concerns the surface-chemical reactions in these processes. We conduct this work in collaboration with several companies, using measurements at and quantum chemical modelling together with Professor Lars Ojamäe.

In another project, we are developing a new CVD method that we call e-CVD, in which free electrons in a plasma discharge are used to drive various surface-chemical reactions, for example, to reduce metal ions in adsorbed precursor molecules to a metallic film. This research is carried out in close collaboration with Professor Daniel Lundin, and we study both plasma-chemical and surface-chemical reactions.

We also investigate how CVD processes can be controlled to deposit materials onto surfaces with complex topology—such as narrow, deep holes—in the most effective way. This is needed, among other things, for the fabrication of computer memory. Here we experiment with introducing various chemical inhibitors and different heavy inert gases.

Despite the major role CVD processes play in our society, very little focus has been placed on making them more sustainable. Together with several companies and Dr. Annelie Carlson, we study various CVD processes using life cycle assessment (LCA) to understand them from a sustainability perspective and to identify how they can be made more sustainable, for example by designing CVD reactors in better ways together with Professor Örjan Danielsson.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in starting a collaboration or participating in a research project.

Olov Planthaber