NCCAVS - Northern California Chapter AVS
Advancing the
Science and
Technology of
Materials,
Interfaces, and
Processing
As a member-driven, interdisciplinary
organization, AVS supports networking
among academic, industrial, government,
and consulting professionals involved in
a variety of disciplines—chemistry,
physics, materials science, engineering
biology, mathematics, business, sales,
etc. through common interests related to
the basic science, technology
development, and commercialization of
materials, interfaces, and processing.
Founded in 1953, AVS is organized into
technical divisions and groups that
encompass a range of established as well
as emerging science and technology
areas. There are also regional chapters,
international chapters and affiliates,
and student chapters that promote
communication and networking for
professionals and students within a
geographical region. AVS is comprised of
approximately 4,500 members worldwide
and welcomes all member and non-member
scientists, technologists, students, and
educators to participate in its national
and regional events. Drawing members
from materials science and
vacuum-related industries, equipment
suppliers, universities, and national
labs, the Northern California Chapter of
AVS (NCCAVS) is the Society's
largest--supporting all of Northern
California and Nevada with activities
centered in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The
concentration of semiconductor and
magnetics- related industry in Northern
California enables the Chapter to aim
programs based on its traditional
strength in vacuum technology toward
exploring processes used in these
rapidly growing industries. Through
technical symposia and exhibitions,
users
group meetings,
short
courses and workshops, and other
educational activities, the NCCAVS
provides opportunities for scientists
and technologists from the diverse
fields that depend on controlled
environments to interact and exchange
ideas.
User
Groups
User
Groups provide a FREE forum for
sharing technical knowledge and
leading research, the NCCAVS is
affiliated with and assists five
technical users groups -- Chemical
Mechanical Polishing, Junction
Technology Group, Plasma
Applications, Photovoltaics, and
Thin Films. These groups hold
regular meetings during which
members give technical talks on
current developments in the field
followed by a group discussion.
Membership in each group is FREE and
is not limited to AVS members.
CMPUG - Chemical Mechanical
Polishing Users Group
Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP)
is a technology used for
planarization and surface finishing
in the manufacture of silicon
wafers, integrated circuits (IC's),
magnetic heads and
micro-electromechanical devices (MEMS).
CMP is recognized as the premiere
method for achieving ultraflat and
ultrasmooth surfaces when they are
most critical, thus enabling many of
the advanced electronic devices
currently in production. At various
steps in the process flow, surface
bumps or topography from the
underlying layers can cause
yield-limiting problems for the next
process step. CMP was developed
specifically to address these
issues. Since its mainstream
introduction in the mid-1990's,
applications have continued to grow
rapidly in both volume and
complexity. None of the advanced
microprocessor or memory circuits
manufactured today would be possible
in their current form without
multiple CMP process steps. Newer
technologies, such as 3D packaging
and thru-silicon vias, also continue
to leverage CMP for its unique
planarization capabilities. The CMP
Users Group (CMPUG) was formed in
October 1995 to explore the issues
and challenges associated with this
fast growing technology. The CMPUG's
main activity is a quarterly meeting
with technical presentations on a
topic of interest to the CMP
community.
CMPUG Website
JTG - Junction Technology Group
The Junction Technology Group (JTG)
formed in 1983 as the Silicon Valley
Implant Users Group, focuses on the
technologies and process issues
related to formation of p-n
junctions in semiconductor
materials, which include ion
implantation, rapid thermal
processing, CVD growth and related
metrologies for applications in
transistors, optical sensors, and
photo-voltaic materials. The JTG
generally holds four topical
meetings a year, including a
day-long session at Semicon/West in
July.
JTG Website
PAG - Plasma Applications Group
The Plasma Applications Group
welcomes all those having an
interest in plasma processing.
Currently, the group holds thematic
meetings directed to various topics
relating to plasma processing. These
meetings cover new scientific and
technical developments, areas of
application such as semiconductors,
nanotechnology, biotechnology,
surface treatment, etc., and include
tutorials, world market and
economics, intellectual property,
and other areas. There is a diverse
audience (typically about 60-70
attendees) from industry, academia
and young startups. The
presentations and the lively
interaction that follows reflect the
diversity and wide range of
interests in our Silicon Valley and
worldwide community. The Plasma
Applications Group has a
LinkedIn discussion board at
www.linkedin.com/groups
(keyword:
Plasma Applications Group)
where interactive topical
discussions and recent information
is posted.
PAG Website
PVUG - Photovoltaics Users Group
Photovoltaics (PV) is an area of
emerging interest to many members of
the AVS as it combines technologies
common to thin film deposition,
plasma processing, implant, and
vacuum processing. The Photovoltaic
User Group (PVUG) is not an official
user group of the NCCAVS but rather
a virtual group which draws
presentations from the existing user
groups of the NCCAVS. Recently, JTG,
PAG and TFUG together put on a full
day meeting in February on
Photovoltaic Technologies in
conjunction with the NCCAVS exhibit.
We are tentatively planning to host
this meeting annually.
PVUG Website
TFUG - Thin Films Users Group
The Thin Film Users Group (TFUG)
focuses on state-of-art thin-films
deposition and applications for
semiconductor and related fields,
such as nanotechnology, renewable
energy, imaging devices, design for
manufacturing, and advanced memory
research. It is composed of
engineers and scientists from device
manufactures, semiconductor
equipment venders and universities.
The TFUG's main activity is a
bi-monthly half-day open seminar
from researchers and industry
technologists with technical
presentations on topics of current
interests. Bi-monthly technical
meetings and membership is open to
anyone involved or interested in
thin film processes, including those
in device or equipment
manufacturing, academia and
consulting. These meetings provide
an excellent opportunity to interact
and discuss problems and issues with
others in the field.
TFUG Website
Join
AVS
Individuals obtain membership in the
local chapter by joining the
national AVS organization. On a
national level, AVS provides a
number of resources to members. Each
year, the
AVS International Symposium and
Exhibition features
more than 1,200 technical papers and
draws approximately 3,000 scientists
from around the world. AVS National
also sponsors several topical
conferences that provide in-depth
investigation into a particular
technique or field. AVS offers
journals, books, monographs, short
courses, and videos.
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