About our logo...
About our logo...
| About the Group | Research Activities & Postgraduate Studies |
| APCPST Conference | The Wedge |
| Who's Who | Documents |
Link to:
Plasma Research laboratory
Research School of Physical
Sciences and Engineering
About the Group
The Space Plasma and Plasma Processing (SP3) Group was founded in 1986 as an international quality research team to undertake fundamental research in low temperature Plasma Physics, applied to space and materials processing. In the early 1980s, the Plasma Research Laboratory developed large volume plasmas for research into the complex wave-particle interaction which underlie the phenomena of auroral displays and the emission of radiation from compact astrophysical objects. During this period, the microelectronic industry was starting to expand dramatically, and the need for a major improvement in wafer processing systems became apparent. By the 1990, the ANU-patented Helicon plasma was regarded as a forerunner for the next generation of processing systems. The SP3 group is still the major innovator in this area, with 4 patents in the last 2 years and a large number of international visitors spending time at the ANU.
Research Activities
- Helicon plasma (Rod Boswell, Alex Degeling, Antoine Durandet)
- Simulation (Helen Smith)
- Pulsed Plasma (Christine Charles, Helen Smith, Rod Boswell)
- Plasma Etching
- Helicon Activated Reactive Evaporation (Antoine Durandet, Sarah Hatch, Barbara Monsma)
- Applied Research: Optical Waveguides (Antoine Durandet, Sarah Hatch, Barbara Monsma)
The group has developed in-house some useful plasma diagnostic techniques:
- Retarding Field Energy Analyser
- Fast 2D plasma density mapping
Projects for Vacation Scholars, Honours, and Graduate students are available in any of the research areas listed above. Further information for prospective students can be obtained from the RSPhySSE Info for Students page and the Graduate Handbook. Information about scholarships, fees etc is available from the Graduate School.
Conference
You can look at the conference program, including abstracts, from the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma Science and Technology which we recently held in Sydney.
The Wedge
Dr Boswell has been involved in setting up and developing a virtual reality system, known as The Wedge. This system will be used for visualisation of scientific data in a wide range of fields, including plasma physics, as well as having educational and promototional applications. For more details, have a look at The Wedge site.
Who's Who
You can view a group photo (WARNING - 1.7 Mg) of the Plasma Research Lab, which includes both the Space Plasma and the Fusion Groups. You can also see a staff list for the entire department, which includes contact details.
Head of Department
Academic Staff
Dr Roderick W. Boswell
- Dr Terrence E. Sheridan
- Dr Christine Charles
- Dr Antoine Durandet
- Dr Helen Smith
Technical Staff
Administration
- Mr Peter Alexander
- Ms Barbara Monsma
Ms Kate Masson
PhD Students
Vistors/Hangers on
- Alex Degeling
- Sarah Hatch
- Bonar Dickson
- Dr Craig Davis
- Darryn Schneider
- Mr Vincent Duno
- Dr Kyeong Chi
Other Documents
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times since April 3rd 1998.
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