This award of the Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) program funded through the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) supports the research and educational activities of Professor Ellen Fisher of Colorado State University. The research aims to extend the capabilities of the PI's laboratory for examining plasma radical species by resonant multiphoton ionization detection (REMPI), and to provide postdoctoral student support. The incorporation of a high-frequency Nd:YAG laser into the PI's existing equipment would propel her research program into an entirely new and exploratory direction in studying fundamental aspects of plasma chemistry.
The opportunity afforded through the POWRE program will enhance Professor Fisher's research potential as well as her educational mentoring of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists. The results of this research will provide accurate data for those who model plasma systems. This work could also have a large economic impact on the microelectronics industry and thin-film technology by providing improvements in plasma processing methods which reduce manufacturing costs.
