In this project in the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Bruce Ault of the University of Cincinnati will use matrix isolation spectroscopy to study intermediates formed during Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) processes. Through these studies Ault hopes to identify the initial steps in the mechanism of CVD as well as the role of gas-phase versus surface-mediated reactions. Along the way he will characterize the structure and bonding of unusual species isolated during these experiments. Ault will use quantum-mechanical calculations to help identify and characterize new intermediates. %%% Chemical Vapor Deposition is used to produce a wide range of insulating, semiconducting, conducting, and superconducting thin films having great societal and commercial importance. In this project, very low temperature experiments using materials dispersed through rare-gas solids, thin films, or solutions will be conducted to isolate and preserve the intermediate products of the chemical reactions involved in CVD processing. Knowledge of these products and of the mechanisms of CVD can allow improvement in both the efficiency and the quality of the final products in thin film manufacturing.
