Douglas Ernie

I am interested in the areas of gaseous electronics and plasma engineering relating to nonequilibrium dc, rf, and microwave discharges and their applications. A major part of my current research effort entails the theoretical and experimental investigation of rf discharge characteristics. The theoretical studies involve modeling various physical properties of the discharge including sheath structures, ion surface bombardment energy distributions, maintenance mechanisms, and the effects of radical species and negative ions. The experimental work complements these studies by utilizing optical and mass spectroscopy and ion energy diagnostics to characterize some of the rf discharge properties being modeled. These investigations are directed toward obtaining a better fundamental understanding of these discharges and their applications in surface modification and microelectronic device fabrication.

Another area of my research involves the theoretical and experimental study of particle distributions, particle flow patterns, and electric field profiles in dc discharges. This effort is of interest both for the basic understanding of the physics of dc discharges and for the application of these discharges to lasers and lightning.