NSF Award
9760265
*** 9760265 Hollo This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is aimed at development of in-process femtosecond energy diffusion sensing of microscale thermal transfer to control thin film vapor deposition processes. Recent advances in laser technology and the development of microscale heat transfer models have made it possible to use ultrashort laser pulses to measure the thermal conductivity, elastic modulus and thickness of thin films. Phase I will investigate the feasibility and cost effectiveness of developing an industrial version of a femtosecond energy diffusion sensor for in-process measurement of critical material properties during vapor deposition of thin films. Measurements will be made on thin films produced by chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, electron beam evaporation and plasma deposition. Micro-scale thermal transport models will be used to correlate the measurements to material properties such as thermal conductivity, elastic modulus, defect concentration, grain size and film composition.. Feedback control of vapor deposition processes is critical to the cost-effective manufacture of advanced thin film materials such as high-temperature superconductors, advanced photovoltaic cells and thermal barrier coatings. An industrial version femtosecond energy diffusion sensor has the capability to provide required in process measurements for closed-loop of a wide variety of vapor deposition processes. ***
