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Sumit
Agarwal
Assistant Professor
B. Tech. Chemical Engineering, Banaras
Hindu University, India
M.S. Chemical Engineering, University of New Mexico
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of California – Santa Barbara
Post-Doctoral study at University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials, investigation of surface reaction mechanisms during thin film growth
Research
Description
My research interests are focused on the synthesis and characterization
of ultra-thin films and nanolaminates for various applications in semiconductor
processing, display technology, gas sensors, and micro electromechanical
systems. Engineering thin-film nanostructures for future applications
is particularly challenging because it requires films that are atomically
thin in nature. For example, future electronic devices or high-performance
coatings may consist of 1-3-atom-thick sequential layers of different
metals, insulators (metal oxides and metal nitrides), and semiconductors
with a total thickness of only 1.5-2.0 nm. These multilayer nanostructures
are expected to exhibit enhanced electrical, mechanical, and optical
properties that are not observed in the single component. Furthermore,
the unique properties of these nanolaminates can be optimized through
precise control over the thickness and composition of each nanolayer.
Achieving this degree of atomic layer control in thin-film deposition
necessitates exploiting novel surface chemistries for thin-film growth
and techniques for measuring thin-film growth rate, chemical composition,
microstructure, and their electrical and transport properties. The commonly
used approach in process development and optimization relies on expensive
and time consuming trial-and-error procedures which explore the entire
experimental parameter space. My research takes a fundamental surface
science approach where we investigate the physical and chemical phenomena
occurring at the gas-film interface using surface and gas-phase diagnostic
tools such as angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quadrupole
mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman
spectroscopy. A deeper understanding of the gas-surface interactions
during thin-film growth is expected to lead to better deposition techniques
and provide solutions for future problems.
Contact
Information
Sumit Agarwal
443 Alderson Hall
Chemical Engineering Dept.
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
Office:
(303) 273-3508
FAX: (303) 273-3730
sagarwal@mines.edu
