Apr 12
Physics 123 Speaker Series: Week 3
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to announce this year’s Physics 123 Line-up. “What Physicists Do” is our annual series of five lectures by invited speakers, many of whom are Carleton Physics alumni. It is intended to introduce students to a broad range of real-world physics and to give some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background. The course is open to all interested students; those considering a major in physics are particularly encouraged to enroll.
Week 3 (April 12): John McDonough '07
Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Semiconductor Manufacturing at the Extremes
Molecular Beam Epitaxy (“MBE”) is an elemental thin film deposition technique used to manufacture compound semiconductor devices used in everything from smart phones to satellites. The complex systems used to manufacture these devices require extreme conditions like ultra-high vacuum and temperatures ranging from -260 to 1800 degrees Celsius to allow for the creation of nanometer-scale device features. Only in this unique realm can some of the world’s most advanced materials be made. In this talk John McDonough ’07, Product Engineer for Veeco Instruments will discuss how these systems are designed and built, the science behind how they work, and the types of cutting-edge lasers, sensors and emitters the MBE process enables.