President's Report

General Topics

Member Highlights

Remembering AVS Members

International Symposia

First Announcements

Conference Reports

Meetings Calendar

*Download/Print PDF Format

New AVS Online Journal, Biointerphases

This new open-access journal facilitates the free and rapid dissemination of research focused on biomaterial interfaces to the biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science and

physics communities. To learn more about Biointerphases, please visit the General Topics section.

A Trip to the Hill: Congressional Visits Day 2006

Washington in springtime is the mecca not only for tourists and students on class trips, but also for a seemingly endless line of supplicants seeking special considerations from their representatives and senators. AVS participated in this year's Congressional

Visits Day by sending three volunteers; for a recap of their time on the Hill, visit the General Topics section.

Image Credit: The surface of a 4 µm-thick GaSb film grown on a GaAs(001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The image, with a field of view of approximately 1 µm, reveals the nanometer-scale morphology of the spiral-like structures that grow around threading dislocations in the film (caused by the film's 7% lattice mismatch with the substrate). Each threading dislocation creates a 0.3 nm-height "step" where it emerges at the surface. From work by P.M. Thibado, B.R. Bennett, B.V. Shanabrook, and L.J. Whitman. Graphics by L.J. Whitman.

Copyright © AVS 2006. All rights reserved.

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By Christie R.K. Marrian, 2006 AVS President

Dear AVS Member,

I trust that the turn of the seasons to summer is proving as welcome to all our members in the Northern Hemisphere as it is to those of us in California. I’d like to share with you several exciting new developments that have occurred since my previous newsletter article that echo the sentiments of my opening sentence, namely change and globalization.

First, I must introduce one of two new members to our AVS family, Jeannette DeGennaro. Jeannette joined the AVS staff in March with the responsibility of managing our vendor relations and more specifically revitalizing our annual Equipment Exhibition at the International Symposium.

Jeannette has an extensive background in the scientific equipment industry and has already integrated herself into our organization, as anyone who attended the ICMCTF (International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films) and AVS meetings in San Diego can attest. She will be part of the great team based in the New York Office and can be reached at jeannette@avs.org. Even if you are not a potential exhibitor, please check out the Exhibit Website as it is most impressive. And, if you are a potential exhibitor, you should definitely use it to reserve your booth(s) as space is selling fast!

The Exhibition is not the only thing that you will see changing at the International Symposium this November in San Francisco. Our Symposium has no peer in terms of the quality of the technical presentations; however, the meeting itself has sometimes lacked atmosphere especially at some of the vast convention centers we have visited in the past. This year, we are organizing things differently to improve the flow of the meeting and generate more buzz in the hallways.

Watch the website for more details but we are definitely going to have: a kick-off mixer to introduce the Exhibit and facilitate networking, morning coffee breaks (YEAH!!), interactive tabletop exhibits tied closely to specific technical sessions, better integration of the poster sessions, and numerous other changes ranging from small tweaks to restructuring of the overall schedule.

On the technical side, we have received an outstanding number of abstracts and have a spectacular array of invited speakers in place. Furthermore, the technical scope of the meeting will be enhanced by sessions with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the AIP’s Industrial Physics Forum, and the Nanoprint and Nanoimprint Conference (NNT ’06), which is being hosted at one of the AVS hotels. Please spread the word to your colleagues that the AVS International Symposium and Exhibtion in San Francisco is going to be the place to be this November and encourage them to make plans to attend.

The second new member is Biointerphases, www.biointerphases.org, our new journal focused on biomaterial interfaces. The journal is pioneering the "Open Access" model and is available online everywhere! The lead article of the inaugural edition is entitled “A surface scientist's perspective on Biointerphases, or Out of the Vacuum, into the Liquid” by the Editor, Michael Grunze, and the Chair of our Publication Committee, Greg Exarhos. The title perfectly captures why a Society with the heritage of AVS is embarking on this exciting new direction. Check it out!

The multidisciplinary and multi-national nature of Biointerphases is an appropriate introduction to the next point I want to highlight in this newsletter; namely, how AVS is adapting to the increasing globalization of the institutions we work for and the science, technology, and engineering we practice.

As I alluded to in my last article, I have recently joined an exciting new venture formed by AMD (U.S.) and Fujitsu (Japan). My group currently comprises nationals from Britain, China, India, Korea, Iran, and the U.S. (there are only 7 of us!), my boss is originally from Lebanon and his boss is from, and based in, Japan. The company manufactures Flash memory in Texas and Japan and assembles and tests in Malaysia, China, and Thailand.

How can AVS maximize its relevance to such an ethnically, technically and geographically diverse community? This question was the focus of much discussion at the recent AVS Board meeting in San Diego where we and the IUVSTA (International Union Vacuum Science and Technology Associations, our international umbrella organization) Executive Committee were generously hosted by the AVS Applied Surface Engineering Division (ASED) at their extraordinarily successful ICMCTF meeting. The answer, I believe, is in adapting to the needs of the specific community in which one participates, be it technically or geographically.

The ICMCTF meeting is an excellent example itself in that it has become increasingly international in its attendance and organizational structure remains a key meeting of our ASED. In Northern California, a different meeting structure has evolved to cater to the local community based on regular technical half day meetings where you can just turn up without registering, see www.avsusergroups.org. At the national level, AVS has introduced a new category of membership to support our members from developing nations (as defined by the World Bank) and we are investigating ways to best serve these members. At the same time, I believe that AVS does not need to explicitly state that it is "international." We have a valuable brand associated with the three letters "AVS" and we should not dilute it by adding redundant modifiers.

Please make plans to attend the International Symposium in San Francisco! I look forward to seeing you there,

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AVS Welcomes Jeannette DeGennaro to Staff

We are very pleased to welcome Jeannette DeGennaro, AVS Exhibition & Sales Coordinator, to the AVS staff. Jeannette started at AVS on March 6, 2006, and she will handle the exciting and challenging tasks associated with managing the annual AVS Exhibition, as well as work to promote all related products and services (e.g., corporate membership, sponsorship, etc.).

Along these lines, one of her primary goals will be to ensure effective relations and open lines of communication with our vendor community. Jeannette is currently busy working on the AVS-53 Exhibition as you can see from the many new and exciting activities being planned this year (read more below).

Jeannette joined us after 20+ years at Kratos Analytical and another 2 at Analytical Sales and Services, Inc. Jeannette’s role is to make improvements which will benefit the exhibitors of AVS, which in turn, will benefit the attendees. After many years of exhibiting at AVS, Jeannette believes she can recommend some simple changes to the program that will impact the success of the exhibition. Some of the changes which have already been implemented include:

● Exhibit days have been changed back to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This will help our exhibitors two-fold. Smaller vendors will now have the ability to set up their booths on Monday without having to encounter weekend travel or pay overtime charges for the local union labor. This will result in large savings for smaller exhibitors. Additionally, larger exhibitors will have ample time to set up their displays and instrumentation.

● A new “Kick-Off Mixer” will be held Monday evening between the technical sessions and poster session (5:00 – 6:30pm). The Kick-Off Mixer is a great opportunity for the exhibitors and attendees to casually interface and develop new relationships.

● During exhibit days, the technical session will now have morning breaks to allow time for attendees to visit the exhibit hall. During these breaks, complimentary coffee will be served only in the exhibit hall.

● Lunch breaks (up to 2 hours) will also provide generous time to visit the exhibit hall.● Throughout the week, we will be holding events in the hall including our traditional

Tuesday evening reception (which will include refreshments and door prizes).● Additionally, an exhibit finale will be held from 12:00-2:00p.m. to coincide with the

lunch break of the technical session.

For additional information, or to share any comments/suggestions, please contact Jeannette at jeannette@avs.org, 212-248-0200 ext. 229.

New AVS Online Journal, Biointerphases

Web: www.biointerphase.org

This new open-access journal facilitates the free and rapid dissemination of research focused on biomaterial interfaces to the biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science and physics communities. Biointerphases also provides a novel forum for the exchange of scientific theories, results, and interpretations, and seeks to encourage dialogue between scientists and the public on cogent policy issues.

Biointerphases is edited by Professor Dr. Michael Grunze, Chair of the Applied Physical Chemistry Research Group at Heidelberg University's Institute of Physical Chemistry. The work of his group focuses on the synthesis and characterization of ultrathin organic films. In 2003, Dr. Grunze was presented with the prestigious Max Planck Research Prize for International Cooperation.

Biointerphases is devoted to articles of original research, and each issue will feature Critical Reviews, Editorial Commentary, Reports, Opinionated Essays, and a Myth and Reality section, addressing controversial models and experiments. The journal is published online as a quarterly and will reside on AIP's Scitation online hosting platform. It will also be available in a bound annual volume for a nominal fee.

Biointerphases joins the three core journals the Society publishes for the research community.

Courses By Request

Courses By Request is a new method to schedule AVS short courses to meet your specific needs.

By completing an online form, you tell us which course(s) you need, the time frame in which you need them offered, how many people (other than yourself) are interested in the same course(s), and your traveling restrictions. As requests are received, AVS will work to identify additional interested participants, and schedule the course(s) at a facility and date that will meet everyone’s needs.

The form is located at http://www.avs.org/education.byrequest.aspx.

AVS has more than 70 courses that provide training for technicians, scientists, and engineers under three broad categories: Vacuum and Equipment Technology, Materials and Interface Characterization, and Materials Processing.

AVS Short Course Questions? E-mail courses@avs.org or call 530-896-0477.

A Trip to the Hill: Congressional Visits Day 2006

By Rudy Ludeke, (Chair, Science and Technology Policy Committee)

Washington in springtime is the mecca not only for tourists and students on class trips, but also for a seemingly endless line of supplicants seeking special considerations from their representatives and senators. Many are dark-suited slick professionals, others humble citizens from rural and urban areas and elderly of diverse means and cultural background. Colorful they are, a group of Arizona ranchers in full Western regalia visiting John McCain, a massive contingent of vociferous Hispanics seeking support for immigration reform from Senator Kennedy. In this maelstrom sprinkle in a diverse group of somewhat reticent scientists and engineers and the reader can get a picture of the task beforehand of influencing legislation favorable to the science and technical community.

But try we did, some 300 of us representing diverse scientific and technical organizations and well prepared with supportive arguments and fact sheets of the issues, ascended the Hill bravely on a sparkling early spring day, March 29, to pitch for our cause.

The event, Congressional Visits Day (CVD), is a decade-old annual pilgrimage of scientists and

engineers organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology-Working Group, a coalition of some 43 societies, including the AVS, universities and industry. The event consists of an afternoon of orientations prior to the actual visits day, and included informative talks on federal science and technology policy, budgets and research trends. It was held this year at the AAAS headquarters in Washington. Following the orientation, an evening reception was held at the Capitol Club for the winner of the annual George E. Brown, Jr. Award for science policy leadership in Congress. This year’s winner was Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia, shown here with the other two AVS delegates Alison Baski (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Janice Reutt-Robey (University of Maryland).

The timing of CVD in early spring coincides with the important legislative period of discussion and changes of the proposed authorization bills for the budget for the forthcoming fiscal year that begins every October 1. This year it was particularly important that the voices for science were raised, as the commitment for science support is severely challenged by budgetary constraints arising from among others the Iraqi war and hurricane Katrina.

On the bright side of this issue was the rather sudden, but belated realization by Congress of the threat to our National well-being posed by the economic challenges arising from the emerging economic powerhouses in Asia. The catalyst for this awakening was the request in 2005 by Senators Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman to the National Academy of Sciences for a prioritized list of “10 actions that federal policy makers could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so that the United States can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the global community of the 21st Century.” The resulting report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” was released last fall and was widely acclaimed and discussed since. (The executive summary can be found at http://darwin.nap.edu/execsumm_pdf/11463.pdf).

In roughly the same time frame the Council on Competitiveness (http://www.compete.org/) released a study “Innovate America: National Innovation Initiative Final Report.” These two documents initiated a flurry of legislative proposals in both Houses that include the National Innovation Act and PACE (Protecting America’s Competitive Edge) Act, among others. Not to be outdone and seeing some political advantage the White House climbed onto the bandwagon and introduced the American Competitiveness Initiative, first mentioned by President Bush in this year’s State of the Union address, which was followed by the release of a formal report (http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/aci/aci06-booklet.pdf).

Common themes pervade all three reports and the legislative proposals they spawned, such as enhancing and broadening the reach of science education at all levels of schooling by encouraging more people to become science teachers and improving the qualifications of existing teachers, as well as enhanced support for basic research, including activities in new and emerging fields. The reports and legislation differ somewhat in emphasis as well as details. The interested reader can obtain a convenient, spreadsheet-like comparison of the legislative proposals by going to the ASTRA website http://www.aboutastra.org/ and clicking on “Action Requests and Sign-On’s” in the ASTRA Toolkit menu.

Armed with this background information, which was thoroughly covered in the orientation session the day before, and with state specific handouts on Federal R&D funding and K-12 STEM education (which include state rankings and comparisons to other countries), the 300+ CVD attendees, embolden with this new knowledge stormed the Hill. A slight exaggeration, but a trot was definitely needed to cover the disparate offices of senators and representatives located on opposite sides of the Capitol, an endeavor often slowed by long lines at the security check-ins of each building. But it was a gorgeous, sunny Washington spring day that easily compensated for such distractions, including the seemingly perpetual construction sites around the Capitol.

Our AVS delegation of Alison Baski, Janice Reutt-Robey, and Rudy Ludeke combined to visit a total of 12 congressional offices representing Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New

York. Although unseasoned in the art of lobbying, we benefited from a crash course given to the three of us by ASTRA’s Executive Director Bob Boege, who also arranged the scheduling for our visits, a somewhat onerous task that involves endless phone calls and last minute cancellations and schedule changes. Our deep appreciation goes to Bob for his help.

The visits were well received by the congressional staff (one seldom sees the congressmen), some of which were well acquainted with the issues, others quite naïve (but it is these that you want to bring around). The handouts were generally deemed quite effective and are an excellent conversation crutch. A few glitches do happen, a room number typo or two, a meetings scheduled 30 minutes apart on opposite sides of the Hill, or in the case of the author, the aforementioned outflanking by the immigration reformists. Nevertheless, we all considered the trip worthwhile and worth repeating. An important lesson we learned is that lobbying, and CVD in particular, is not a once-a-year event, but only the beginning of a process of getting to know your congressional representative and nurturing a relationship that in the ideal case evolves into you becoming a reliable resource for your representative.

If my readers managed to stay with me this long, I would encourage them to add their voices to the cause of science. Write, call or preferably visit your congress-man or woman. Ask them to at least become a co-sponsor for pro-science legislation before Congress. Equip yourself with some state-specific facts (the handouts previously mentioned, which can be obtained at the ASTRA website http://www.aboutastra.org/) and convince them or their staff of the dire future our Nation will face if we loose our preeminence in science and technology. We can no longer afford to be complacent. As Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, Chair of the House Committee on Science, once told us “the brewers of America have a louder voice on the Hill than you scientists.” I would like to add to this “its time to raise our voices (and glasses if helpful) with a Cheer to Science.”

AVS 2006 Election Slate

President:

● Greg Exarhos, Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL)● John Russell, Naval Research Lab (NRL)

Secretary:

● Joe Greene, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Treasurer:

● Steve Rossnagel, IBM

Director:

● Li-Chyong Chen, National Taiwan University, Taiwan● Mike Grunze, University of Heidelberg, Germany● Ludvik Martinu, Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal● Ivan Petrov, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

Trustee:

● Don Baer, Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL)● Steve George, University of Colorado● Ulf Helmersson, Linköping, Sweden● Buddy Ratner, University of Washington

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This section of the Newsletter is designed to highlight some of the benefits of your membership as well as to provide general information on your Society. Please send us feedback on this section or any AVS topic by sending e-mail to membership@avs.org or calling Membership Services at 212-248-0200, Ext.221.

AVS Forty-Year Club

Over the years, AVS has recognized 40-year members of the Society at the Awards Assembly held at the International Symposium. The Forty-Year Club consists of current AVS members who have been active in the Society for 40 years or more. AVS would like to continue to recognize these members; however, to ensure that we capture all members from 1966 we ask that you please notify the AVS office if you or someone you know is eligible for 40-year status. Please contact Angela Klink at 212-248-0200 ext. 221, fax 212-248-0245, or angela@avs.org.

Corporate Members

Corporate Membership benefits include voting privileges, complimentary subscriptions, recognition, promotional opportunities, short course discounts, and more.

For more information on the benefits of becoming a Corporate Member, please contact Angela Klink, membership@avs.org, 212-248-0200 ext. 221, or visit www.avs.org.

AVS wishes to thank the following Corporate Members for their support.

2006

A&N Corporation

Abbess Instruments and Systems Inc.

Alcatel Vacuum Products

Altair Technologies, Inc.

Applied Surface Technologies

AVAR Inc.

BOC Edwards

CeramTec North America

Duniway Stockroom Corp.

Horiba Jobin Yvon Inc.

Innovative Vacuum Solutions, Inc.

ION-TOF USA, Inc.

John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Kratos Analytical

Kurt J. Lesker Company

McAllister Technical Services

MKS Instruments Inc.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Omicron NanoTechnology USA

Physical Electronics

Process Materials Inc.

RHK Technology, Inc.

SPECS GmbH

SPECS Scientific Instruments Inc.

Staib Instruments Inc.

Transfer Engineering and Manufacturing Inc.

U-C Components Inc.

Varian Inc.

VAT, Inc.

Regular Members

Ahmad Amin Abdul Kadir Anne Lazarides

Bassam Abraham Chris Leighton

Riaz Ahmad Randy Leiter

Maher Al Shehab Holger Luther

Brian Ashe Scott Mackler

Mikel Atkinson Howard Mangrum

Anival Ayala John McCaffrey

Jeffrey Barcon Peng Miao

Israel Beinglass Judi Nicoletti

Marek Boleslawski Stacie Pacitti

Brian Bowles Jimmy Price

Gil Bruso Tanya Riedhammer

Christina Carere David Ronce

Norberto Chavez Swadeshmukul Santra

Jay Chey Winston Schoenfeld

Evelyn Cruz Kenneth Schwartz

Jeffery Dodd Eitan Shauly

Michael Galtry Sergey Simanchov

Thomas Gaspar K. H. Sarwa Tan

Jacob George Gregory Timp

Bradley Gray George Vernstrom

David Hasler Kenbah Wang

Mary Hovater Bill West

Ilan Jacobson Jeffrey White

Inpoy Jang Eric Williams

Pieter Kerstens Teresa Wilson

Sang Wook Kim Jason Woloszyn

John Koo Yan Xin

Jennifer Kruschwitz Jiyun Xu

Kan Kuang Huei Jianxun Yan

Tanmay Kumar Michael Young

Student Members

Abhinav Acharya Matthew Schmitz

Jon Allen Raghunandan Seelaboyina

Travis Anderson Sinan Selcuk

Chuchai Anunmana Guneet Sethi

Jonas Baltrusaitis Manish Sharma

Sean Best Priyam Shaw

Sean Bishop Priyank Shukla

Bryan Blackburn George Sterbinsky

Beau Burton Mahesh Tanniru

Riley Butler Carlo Tosi

Judith Chacon Teng-Kuan Tseng

Bonnie Chang Martin Van Assche

Young Chang Lavs Voss

Cindy Chao Jacob Waddell

Jau-Jian Chen Hung-Ta Wang

Minghan Chen Qiu Wei

Ruby Chen Briggs White

Chaitali China Bryan Wilson

Neetu Chopra Chris Woan

Chen Chu Jon Wright

Kenneth Chung Zhuangchun Wu

Jim Ciston Peng Xu

Matt Dabrowski Song Xue

Melanie Disabb Justin Zhan

Leah Edelman Haidong Zhang

Danqin Feng Kunal Patel

Anna Fuller Bhavik Patel

Lori Garrett Daniel Perea

David Goldstein Idel Perez

Sushant Gupta Nicola Perry

Eric Hemesath Karthik Ramani

Andrea Ho Alok Ranjan

Joel Hornin Dhurjati Ravi

Shu-Han Hsu Mark Rocco

Carlos Ingvanzo James Rondinelli

Soohwan Jang Nick Rudawski

Joseph Latkowski Matthew Schmitz

Chi-Ying Lee Raghunandan Seelaboyina

Christopher Lemke Sinan Selcuk

Jason Levin Guneet Sethi

Shih-kun Liu Manish Sharma

Tzuan-Horng Liu Priyam Shaw

Lesley Meade Priyank Shukla

Partha Mitra George Sterbinsky

David Nall Mahesh Tanniru

Robby Newman Carlo Tosi

Shobit Omar Teng-Kuan Tseng

Kristin Pappacena Martin Van Assche

Nidhi Parashar Lavs Voss

Milin Patel Jacob Waddell

Akhil Patel Hung-Ta Wang

Remel Patel Qiu Wei

Kunal Patel Briggs White

Bhavik Patel Bryan Wilson

Daniel Perea Chris Woan

Idel Perez Jon Wright

Nicola Perry Zhuangchun Wu

Karthik Ramani Peng Xu

Alok Ranjan Song Xue

Dhurjati Ravi Justin Zhan

Mark Rocco Haidong Zhang

James Rondinelli

Nick Rudawski

Post Doc Member

Roger Michel

Feili Qin

Sanjaya Senanayake

Society of Physics Students

David Abramo Adam Lewis

Jason Blackford Sean MacMullin

Lane Blocker Joseph Macon

Beau Christ Daniel Musekamp

Mallary Chritton Renee Naphas

Daniel Davis Justin Parsons

Adam Denning Edwin Pope

Scott Dieffenbaugher Seth Quarrier

Daniel Fiorello Alex Rainforth

Mark Flowers Zachary Robinson

Kenneth Gebhard William Ryan

Richard Griffin Meagan Saldua

Landan Hicks Bryan Sargent

Shawn Huston Justin Schuerman

Warren Johnson Abraham Spinelli

David Kimzey James Tillapaugh

Joseph Krenicky Bradley Weaver

Alexander Kubicek Caroline Zeaetosky

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James M. Lafferty

By Jack H. Singleton

James "Jim" M. Lafferty, a long time member of the Society died on March 26 in Florida. He had been in fragile health for some time.

Jim was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. He studied at Western Michigan University from 1934 to 1937 before transferring to the University of Michigan where he received his B.S. in engineering physics (1939), M.S. in physics (1940), and Ph.D. in electrical engineering (1946). In 1939, he worked briefly at the Kodak Research Laboratories in Rochester before moving to The General Electric Research Laboratories in 1940. The following year he again moved, to the Carnegie Institution in Washington where he worked on Proximity Fuse development, for which he was later honored with a Naval Ordnance Development Award. He transferred back to General Electric Research in 1942 and remained there until his retirement in 1981.

During his time at General Electric, vacuum technology was central to the research he performed and directed. He joined AVS in 1959 and served on the Board of Directors from 1963 to 1965, as Clerk in 1965 to 1966, and as President for the 1968-1969 term. It was during his time as President that the Medard W. Welch Award was established. When the Committee for Awards Grants and Scholarships was founded in 1965, Jim was elected as a Trustee for a full term of three years, and served as the first chair of the group. He had the pleasure of presenting the third Welch Award to Kenneth Hickman, who had developed the oil diffusion pump and was the Honorary Chair of the Society’s first symposium. Later, Jim was instrumental in the establishment of the Gaede-Langmuir Award which was funded by Hickman, though this was not revealed until after Hickman’s death.

Having made a major contribution to AVS, Jim Lafferty was elected as President of the International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique, and Applications (IUVSTA), serving with great distinction from 1980 to 1983.

In 1962, he was editor and a contributing author in the publication of the first update of a landmark 1949 book, “The Scientific Foundations of Vacuum Technique” by Saul Dushman. That update retained all of the stature of the original book, and we are fortunate indeed that a further version of this book, under the title “Foundations of Vacuum Science and Technology,” was published in 1998. Among his many other contributions to the scientific literature, both as author and editor, Jim also wrote a history of the IUVSTA in 1986.

In 1978, Lafferty was made an AVS Honorary Member. He received the Lamme Medal from the IEEE, “ for contributions to thermionic emitters and for high vacuum technology as applied to high power vacuum switches” in 1979.

For many years, Jim produced video archives of interviews with people prominent in the activities of AVS and in the fields of interest to the Society. While many of these interviews were conveniently conducted at the Annual Symposia, he also traveled widely to obtain a record of those individuals who where no longer attending the annual meetings. A selection of these archives were assembled in a group of DVDs on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Society.

Early this year Jim Lafferty was looking forward with great anticipation to his 90th birthday, which would have occurred in late April. Sadly he did not quite reach that landmark, but his achievements have been amply recorded in his many written contributions, and of course in the memories of those of us who were fortunate enough to have had contact with him over these many years. We must celebrate for him.

Obituary written for the IUVSTA Bulletin by John Robins, a former President of the IUVSTA.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of James Martin Lafferty, or Jim Lafferty as he was more commonly known. Jim died on Sunday, 26 March 2006, and will be missed by friends and colleagues throughout the world, particularly those who knew him through his place of employment, the General Electric Company (GE), and his active contributions to the American Vacuum Society (AVS) and the International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique and Applications (IUVSTA).

Dr Lafferty was born in the USA at Battle Creek, Michigan, on 27 April 1916. He married Eleanor Currie in 1942 and they had four sons, Martin, Ronald (deceased), Douglas and Lawrence. He obtained his academic qualifications at the University of Michigan: a B.S. degree in Engineering Physics in 1939, an M.S. in Physics in 1940 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1946.

After spending one year as a physicist with the Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories in Rochester, NY, in 1939, he joined the General Electric Research Laboratories in 1940 and remained with them until his retirement in 1981, except for a brief period in 1940/41 when he worked on Proximity Fuse Research at the Carnegie Institution in Washington. During his service to GE, he was manager of many different Laboratories concluding with the Power Electronics Laboratory of the Research Development Centre. His research included electrometer and microwave tubes, electron guns, television picture tubes, gas discharge tubes, vacuum switches and electronic vehicles, in addition to his invention of the lanthanum boride cathode in 1950, the hot cathode magnetron ionization gauge in 1961 and triggered vacuum gap in 1966.

Dr. Lafferty will be remembered as the editor and contributing author of “The Scientific Foundations of Vacuum Technique” (Dushman) in 1962, editor of “Vacuum Arcs, Theory and Applications” in 1980 and editor of “Foundations of Vacuum Science and Technology” in 1998. He also wrote many scientific and technical articles and served on editorial boards of a number of journals. He was the Lamme Medalist of the IEEE in 1979.

Although being associated with numerous professional societies (Member of the National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the AAAS, Fellow of the American Physical Society, Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) his greatest service was possibly to the American Vacuum Society. These activities will no doubt be detailed elsewhere, so suffice it to note here that he was made an Honorary Life Member following his participation in many capacities including membership of the Board of Directors 1962-70, Clerk 1965-67 and President 1968-69.

Dr. Lafferty’s association with the IUVSTA spanned many years with formal participation as Councillor for the USA 1971-77, President Elect 1977-80, President 1980-83 and Past President 1983-86. During his presidency, Dr Lafferty introduced major changes to the structure and administration of the IUVSTA, which were to have beneficial and long-lasting effects. By 1980 the IUVSTA was experiencing financial difficulties and could no longer afford to maintain a professional secretariat. In his restructure, Jim Lafferty, in effect, made the Executive Council and the Committees and Divisions each self-sustaining. That is, they each became responsible for handling their own correspondence, setting their own agenda, and recording and distributing their own minutes. In addition, the triennial budgets were drawn up in such a way that the essential expenses of the Union were limited so as not to exceed the subscriptions paid by the national societies, thus ensuring that donations, such as those which might result from conference exhibitions, could be used to build up the Union’s reserve funds to a state where income from the reserves would replace reliance upon donations, for the funding of scientific, technical and educational activities. The use of Divisions to focus and expand the scientific activities of the union was also extended significantly during his term as President.

In his retirement Dr. Lafferty produced an audio/visual archive for the AVS by conducting video-recorded interviews with people who had made significant contributions in the field of vacuum. In 1986, he wrote a History of the IUVSTA, with an appendix containing brief descriptions of the history and structure of the 22 National Vacuum Societies which then constituted the Union. He was also active within the People to People Citizens Ambassador Program, by organizing and leading Vacuum Science and Technique Delegations to Europe 1984, China 1986 and Australia 1988.

Jim Lafferty died just a month short of his 90th birthday after a life in which he contributed

much to research into the science of vacuum and to the application of that knowledge in technological developments. He leaves behind very many colleagues who have benefited, both directly and indirectly, from his friendship, advice, wisdom and guidance.

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AVS 53rd International Symposium and Exhibition

November 12-17, 2006 San Francisco, California

Web: www.avs.org

Technical Symposia

● Advanced Surface Engineering

● Applied Surface Science

● Biomaterial Interfaces

● Electronic Materials and Processing

● Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures

● MEMS and NEMS

● Manufacturing Science and Technology

● Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology

● Plasma Science and Technology

● Surface Science

● Thin Film

● Vacuum Technology

Topical Conferences

● Energy Science & Technology

● Nano-Manufacturing

● Nucleic Acids at Surfaces

● Ultra-Bright Light Sources

Special Sessions and Events

● AIP Industrial Physics Forum (IPF)

● Biomaterials Plenary Session

● Exhibitor Workshop

● International Conference on Nanoimprint & Nanoimprint Technology (NNT)

● Joint Plasma Science & Technology Division & AIChE Sponsored Sessions

Exhibit Hall Plans and Hours

Exhibit Days and Hours: Exhibit days have returned to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to provide ample time for booth construction and instrumentation set up. As a result, weekend travel will be minimized for many exhibitors.

● Tuesday, November 14: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.● Wednesday, November 15: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.● Thursday, November 16: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Kick-Off Mixer for Attendees and Exhibitors: The Kick-Off Mixer will take place on Monday, November 13, from 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. in a beautiful setting within the new Moscone West Convention Center. Floor to ceiling windows overlook downtown San Francisco to provide a perfect backdrop. The Welcome Mixer is a casual gathering where attendees and exhibitors can spend time together prior to the opening of the exhibit hall. This is an ideal opportunity to mingle with attendees and encourage them to visit your booth and see your newest products. The poster session will immediately follow the Mixer.

Technical Session Breaks and Complimentary Coffee: On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, we have restructured the technical session schedule to allow 40 minutes of free time to enable attendees to visit the exhibits. We have also scheduled complimentary coffee service in the exhibit hall during these breaks.

Events and Functions: Numerous events will take place in the exhibit hall during the conference. We will hold interactive events on Tuesday and Wednesday and an “Exhibit Finale” on Thursday. Holding events in the exhibit hall maintains an interactive atmosphere between our attendees and exhibitors. Please help us make our functions something to remember. If you have any suggestions, please contact Jeannette DeGennaro, jeannette@avs.org.

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Toward Novel Nanostructure-Based Devices

October 22-26, 2006 Inter-University Center Dubrovnik, Croatia

Web Site: www.nano2006.org

Nanostructure-based materials as well as the methods of their assembly and integration into novel device structures play an important role in achieving advanced device performance. Topics addressed by this workshop involve research directed at nanostructure-based materials fabrication and incorporation into novel device structure as an active part of a device or component. By incorporating nanostructures with carefully tailored properties into devices, a broad variety of uniquely designed novel devices from solar cells to quantum computers or ultra-high-density data storage devices with enhanced qualities, can be achieved. At the same time, methods that allow ease of processing, integration, and assembly (self assembly) of different materials into low cost, high quality devices are highly favored and play quite an important role in the eventual use of the technology as one can see from a historical perspective that happened in the integrated circuits industry from the 1970's until today.

For more information, please visit www.nano2006.org or contact Gary McGuire, ITC, P.O. Box 12740, Research Triangle Park 27709, 919-881-0500 ext 224, fax 919-881-0440, gmcguire@itc-inc.org.

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18th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference

July 10-14, 2005 Catherine's College Oxford, UK

The 18th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC 2005) was planned by the local organizing committee chaired by Dr. S. Ejaz Huq from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK. It was sponsored by the UK Council for Central Laboratory of the Research Council (CCLRC), AVS, IEEE, Electron Devices Society (EDS), and the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force.

The International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC) formerly known as IVMC is a mainstream international conference covering all aspects of research and development of vacuum, nano, and microelectronics with focus on field emission. Areas covered include mechanism of field emission, novel materials and all aspects of device development, including fabrication techniques, nanoelectronics, simulation, field ionization, and field emission displays. This year the conference saw an increasing number of field emission from novel nanomaterials talks.

There were 152 participants from 16 countries, including U.S. (31), Japan (29), UK (24), China (22), Taiwan (3), S. Korea (14), Russia (8), France (7), Germany (5), Gibraltar (4), India (2), the Netherlands (1), Ukraine (1), Greece (1), Slovak Republic (1), Belgium( 1), and Slovenia (1). Of the 188 abstracts submitted, 44 full papers are accepted for publication in the March issue of the AVS Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, 2006.

During the conference, eight oral sessions and eight poster sessions were held. Prestigious international experts were invited to give nine talks, including Professor Sir Harry Kroto, Nobel Prize winner (1996) for Chemistry for the discovery of C60 Buckminsterfullerene, who gave a wonderful plenary talk on nanotechnology. Other invited speakers included Dr. Capp Spindt, Dr. Richard Forbes, Prof. Vu Thien Binh, Prof. Gunter Muller, Prof. Ningsheng Xu, Dr. Soichiro Okuda, Dr. G.N. Fursey, and Dr. Barry Kent.

The conference created a forum for reporting new findings in vacuum micro and nanoelectronics with a bias towards, but not limited to field emission and related areas, and brought practitioners together to exchange ideas. Participating researchers include those from the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, chemical and materials engineering. This conference undoubtedly achieves its aim and prompts the collaboration among the scientists for different countries.

The 33rd Annual Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Semiconductor Interfaces (PCSI-32)

January 15-19, 2006 Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Hotel Cocoa Beach, Florida

By Bill Lampert, Conference Chair and Dave Aspnes, Proceedings Editor

The 33rd Annual Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Semiconductor Interfaces (PCSI-32) was sponsored and supported by the Army Research Office (ARO) and AVS through the Electronic Materials and Processing Division.

The Conference continues to emphasize solutions of technologically relevant interface problems, in particular in emerging areas, by providing a workshop environment that promotes achieving a fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry issues involved.

The size of the meeting, as measured by the 91 papers presented, was up from the 87 papers presented at PCSI-32 in Montana last year, although the number of attendees, 90, was down somewhat from the Montana attendance figure of 94. The number of attendees from Asia and Europe, 11 and 17, respectively, were nearly a third of the total, thereby continuing to give the meeting a thoroughly international character. In keeping with the workshop tradition of PCSI, every invited and oral presentation was accompanied by a poster, allowing abundant opportunities for in-depth discussions.

Following a historical perspective and some predictions of future directions by Larry Cooper, who is one of the founders of PCSI and provided ONR support for PCSI from the beginning, the remaining 90 presentations can be grouped by topic as follows: spintronics (15 ), surfaces and interfaces (12), nanostructures (10), quantum dots (10), nitrides (10), characterization (9), oxides and complex dielectrics, 8; theory, 5; growth and deposition, 4; technology, 4; passivation (2), and transport (1). Thirty-eight of these presentations have been accepted for publication, which is up nearly 50% from the 25 presentations published last year.

PCSI-34 will continue with the above themes, again providing the opportunity for in-depth discussions of relevant issues and featuring invited talks on nanostructures, spintronics, directions of semiconductor technology, wide-bandgap materials, transition metal oxides, and wafer bonding, among others. The meeting will be chaired by Prof. J. E. Rowe of the University of North Carolina and will be held January 14-18, 2007, in Salt Lake City. Further information can be obtained by contacting Prof. Rowe at rowe@unc.edu, or online at http://www.pcsiconference.org.

33rd International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF 2006)

May 1-5, 2006 Town & Country Hotel San Diego, California

By Andrey A. Voevodin, Program Chair, and Christian Mitterer, General Chair

The International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF), organized by the AVS Advanced Surface Engineering Division (ASED) was held May 1-5, 2006, at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego, CA. With 46 technical sessions, 89 invited speakers, more than 700 oral and poster presentations from 32 countries, technical tutorials, an equipment exhibition, and short courses, ICMCTF has once again demonstrated that it is the premier international conference for fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.

The conference opened with a Plenary Lecture by Professor Stan Veprek from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, on "Nano-Sized and Nano-Structured Inorganic Materials and Thin Films, Why and When?" Dr. Veprek presented a fascinating and comprehensive discussion of nanoscale-grain-size controlled materials with applications ranging from superhard coatings to semiconductor devices.

This year, ICMCTF expanded on its traditional strengths in high temperature coatings, wear resistant materials, optical and decorative thin films, and magnetic and electronic applications, to include special focused sessions on the Atomistics of Thin Film Growth, Deposition Techniques Using Pulsed Plasmas, and Thin Films and Surfaces for Automotive, Aerospace and Fuel Cell Applications. Overall, the conference featured parallel sessions in eleven major areas:

● Coatings for Use at High Temperature● Hard Coatings and Vapor Deposition Technology● Optical Thin Films● Carbon and Nitride Materials● Tribology of Coatings and Thin Films● Advanced Characterization of Coatings and Thin Films● Applications, Manufacturing, and Equipment

● New Horizons in Coatings and Thin Films● Coatings and Automotive Applications ● Coatings for Aerospace Applications● Coatings for Fuel Cells.

In addition to the regular technical program, there were short courses on "Substrate Pre-Treatment" and "Thin Film Nucleation and Growth," tutorials on "Raman Characterization of Surfaces and Coatings" (sponsored by Renishaw plc) and "Art and Skills of Successful Oral and Poster Presentations," and a Quo Vadimus Panel Discussion on “Surface Engineering and the Aerospace Industry.” An extensive exhibition was held on Tuesday and Wednesday with approximately 50 companies presenting new equipment and offering information about their latest products and services in coating technology.

The social highlights of the conference week were the welcome reception held on Monday evening, the informal receptions held during the exhibition and the poster session, and the annual banquet at which the best research presentations of the 2005 conference were acknowledged. During the conference, the ASED announced two newly established prestigious awards to be presented annually at the ICMCTF meeting beginning with 2007: the R.F. Bunshah Award and ICMCTF Lecture (named after Professor Ron Bunshah, ICMCTF founder) and the ICMCTF Graduate Student Awards. Award protocols and nomination procedures are available at http://www2.avs.org/divisions/ASED.

Guest editors processed more than 300 submitted manuscripts which will be rigorously refereed and considered for publication in the international archival journals Surface and Coatings Technology and Thin Solid Films. In addition, copies of all accepted manuscripts will be distributed to the conference attendees on CDs.

Supporting a dedicated team of volunteers were Mary Gray, the Conference Administrator, Phyllis Greene, the Conference Manager, and Bob Finnegan, the Exhibition Manager.

The 34th ICMCTF will be held April 23-27, 2007, at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego, California. The Call for Papers is available at the AVS Website, http://www.icmctf.org. We look forward to seeing you at ICMCTF 2007.

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AVS Board Meetings

● Sunday, June 25, 2006, Albany, New York, in conjunction with the AVS Upstate New York Chapter Symposium

● Sunday, November 12, 2006, San Francisco, California, in conjunction with the AVS 53rd International Symposium and Exhibition

● Monday, January 8, 2007, New York, New York

AVS International Symposia

November 2006

12–17 AVS 53rd International Symposium (Technical Programs, Topical Conferences, Short Courses, and Equipment Exhibition), San Francisco, CA, USA, www.avs.org.

October 2007

14–19 AVS 54th International Symposium (Technical Programs, Topical Conferences, Short Courses, and Equipment Exhibition), Seattle, WA, USA, www.avs.org.

October 2008

19–24 AVS 55th International Symposium (Technical Programs, Topical Conferences, Short Courses, and Equipment Exhibition), Boston, MA, USA, www.avs.org.

November 2009

8–13 AVS 56th International Symposium (Technical Programs, Topical Conferences, Short Courses, and Equipment Exhibition), San Jose, CA, USA, www.avs.org.

AVS Short Courses

For the list of upcoming short courses visit http://www.avs.org/education.schedule.aspx.

AVS Technical Meetings and Topical Conferences

For the list of AVS-sponsored technical meetings and topical conference, visit the online calendar at http://www.avs.org/meetings.schedule.aspx.

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