This award will support a long-term research visit by Professor Yonhua Tzeng, Department of Electrical Engineering, Auburn University in Alabama to Japan for a cooperative research project with Professor Masanori Yoshikawa, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology. The researchers plan to undertake a study on diamond film synthesis by arc discharge plasma jets and the polishing of deposited diamond films by mechanical and chemical means. During his visit to Japan Professor Tzeng will also be visiting Professors Masao Murakawa and Y. Hirose in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Nippon Institute of Technology in Saitama. During these visits they will be performing research on ion plating of cubic boron nitride films and flame CD of diamond films. The research results have the potential of achieving high-rate deposition and cost-effective polishing of diamond and cubic boron nitride films which are crucial to practical applications of these high performance materials to electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical devices and systems. Professors Yoshikawa, Murakawa and Hirose are all recognized experts and their laboratories are world leaders in the areas of diamond and cubic boron nitride films. Their previous experience, coupled with Professor Tzeng's expertise in the field should provide a fruitful collaboration. It is expected that collaborations between the researchers will continue even after the formal agreement has terminated.
