Appalachian State University will purchase a high-vacuum pumping station, an RF/DC sputtering system, and an electron beam evaporation and etching system. This equipment will be used to improve instruction in upper-division physics laboratory courses. Experiments in vacuum technology and thin film properties will be introduced, and microstructures fabricated with the equipment will be used in new experiments in opto-electronics. Advanced undergraduate students also will use the equipment for individual projects. Appalachian State University will match the NSF grant with an equal amount of funds.
