| 2000 |
|
YEAR BOOK |
| National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology |
Dublin City UniversityDublin City University
.jpg)
The NCPST will foster advanced research in plasma science and technology, produce knowledge that can be exploited by local companies, and train researchers at postgraduate and postdoctoral levels. The NCPST, based at Dublin City University, also involves researchers from the Institute of Technology Tallaght.
Plasma science is the study of ionized states of matter. A plasma is a gas of electrically charged electrons and ions, which occurs naturally when ordinary matter is heated to temperatures above about 10,000 K. The transition to the plasma state is a kind of phase transformation, and plasma is often called the fourth state of matter. A plasma is profoundly influenced by electric and magnetic fields, whether applied externally or produced by the particles in the plasma. Consequently, plasmas have very complex physical properties. Plasmas are inherently hot, and their chemistry is exotic as a result. These factors make understanding and controlling plasma a very serious intellectual challenge. But the rewards of this endeavour are great. Plasma is pervasive in the universe, and is used for an ever-widening range of industrial applications.
Plasma Technology in Ireland
Plasma technology is already important in the Irish economy. For example: large-scale enterprises such as the Intel complex at Leixlip, including LAM Research Corp. (Ireland) and Applied Materials, use plasmas extensively to manufacture micro-chips. Plasma technology is a key enabler for the production of the ever smaller track dimensions driving the Information Communications Tech-nology (ICT) revolution as it moves from 'microelectronics' to 'nano-electronics'. Boston Scientific, located in Galway, uses plasmas in producing medical items such as drug delivery systems. Bausch and Lomb manufacture contact lenses in Waterford using plasma techniques. There are also indigenous Irish enterprises with heavy involvement in plasma technology, including, for example, spin-off companies from DCU. Scientific Systems, located in Dublin ( see page 80 ), markets plasma diagnostic and control technology to customers in Europe, the USA and Japan, including Siemens and IBM. Plasma Ireland, located in Cork, carries out contract research and development for customers throughout Europe. These companies have several tens of employees and turn over millions of pounds. Many students trained in research laboratories at DCU are employed in them.
The NCPST is strongly multi-disciplinary, and combines groups working in low temperature plasmas, laser generated plasmas, computational modelling, solid state spectroscopy, plasma and surface chemistry, mathematical sciences, thin film electronic materials, plasma processing and surface characterisation. The NCPST has vigorous collaborations with other institutions in Ireland and abroad. Important elements in many of these collaborations are the exchange of young postgraduate researchers and the successful transfer of research methodologies and techniques
The focus of the NCPST's research programme is on a fundamental under-standing of plasma behaviour and the development of applications. The novelty of our materials programme arises from its combination of hitherto distinct scientific and engineering communities, and this new inter-disciplinary approach will lead to improved surface treatment and the development of a national capability in plasma-surface interactions which will be available to small, medium size or large scale companies.
The NCPST welcomes enquiries from industry and from prospective postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.
Contact:
Prof. Eugene Kennedy,
NCPST, Dublin City University, Dublin 9;
Tel: 353-1-700-5382; Fax: 353-1-700-8484;
E-mail: eugene.kennedy@dcu.ie ;
Web: www.ncpst.ie