MSE Graduate Student Adam Pranda Wins 2019 AVS Award

Adam Pranda, a 6th year PhD Candidate in the University of Maryland (UMD) Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), received the 2019 John Coburn and Harold Winters Student Award in Plasma Science and Technology for his student entitled, "Plasma-Photoresist Interactions for Realizing Advanced Pattern Transfer Processes.” Panda received the award at the 2019 AVS International Symposium and Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio, last week.

Said Pranda, "The physical and chemical interactions between a plasma etching process and photoresist materials present numerous critical implications in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. In our study, we investigated the role of plasma process-induced surface modifications and corresponding etching behaviors of photoresist materials. The ultimate goal is to understand the types and mechanisms of photoresist surface modification, and how they can be leveraged to tailor plasma processes and photoresist formulations as a means of improving etching performance in semiconductor pattern transfer applications.

Pranda, advised by MSE Professor Gottlieb Oehrlein, is on track to graduate in winter 2020. “A big congratulations to Adam!” said Prof. Oehrlein. “This is very competitive – Adam joins a very distinguished list of winners!”

Published October 31, 2019