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| Name |
Aspnes, David E. |
| Location
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North Carolina State University |
| Primary Field
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Applied Physical Sciences |
| Secondary Field
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Physics |
 Election Citation
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Aspnes studies optical effects in thin films and at surfaces and interfaces, being a pioneer in both rigorous theory and accurate experiment. He is also noted for his creative instrumentation, which is widely used in the manufacture of microelectronic devices. |
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Research Interests
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As a condensed-matter physicist, I have spent most of my career in industrial laboratories. I have specialized in the measurement of the optical properties of materials, surfaces, and interfaces; their interpretation in terms of microscopic processes; and their application to advanced technology. One example is the use of effective medium theories in evaluating microstructural properties of deposited thin films. A current example is the use of reflectance-difference spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry in the elucidation and control of epitaxial growth of semiconductor materials. A second current project is the analysis of silicon-dielectric interfaces, as investigated by the above, and by nonlinear optical techniques. I am also interested in mathematical methods of analysis, for example, virtual-interface theory and extending Fourier methods to the analysis of optical data. Finally, I am also interested in developing approaches to teaching topics such as classical electrodynamics to students who must now be highly flexible in their careers. |
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