We are excited to share with you the technical program for the AVS 68th International Symposium and Exhibition (AVS 68), which will be held November 6-11, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA. After receiving all the excellent abstracts from the international scientific community and the hard and selfless work of our Program Committee over the last few months, we have put together an exciting and vibrant program. The Symposium program is planned as an in-person event – our first in three years and will consist of 140+ exciting oral and poster sessions, as well as many opportunities to network, collaborate, and socialize!
The theme for this year’s Symposium is “Imperfectly Perfect Materials.” The theme reflects the cross-cutting importance of defects in materials across the different programs in AVS. In some cases, defects are undesired and can lead to deleterious consequences such as in electronic and optical devices where a defect can lead to a trap for charge carriers. In other cases, defects could be desired and lead to enhanced performance such as in catalysis where a defect increases activity towards adsorption or other surface reactions. Defects are also of emerging interest for applications in quantum information science. The Symposium will cover methods for controllable defect formation, studies of their stability, and techniques for their characterization. Specifically, here are some of the sessions that highlight the theme:
- Applied Surface Science: Probing Defects at Surfaces and Interfaces
- Biomaterial Interfaces: Perfectly Imperfect Biology
- Electronic Materials and Photonics: Defect Engineering in Electronic and Photonic Materials and Devices
- Thin Film: Perfectly Imperfect Oxides
- 2D Materials: Defects, Dopants, Edges, Functionalization, and Intercalation
- Light Sources: Role of Defects in Materials
- Quantum Information Science: Color Centers, from Materials to Quantum Technologies
Several special sessions will commemorate scientists who have made immense contributions to science and AVS, including Charles Fadley, David Shirley, Patricia Thiel, and Martin Seah.
In addition, there will be sessions in several innovative topical areas. Focus Topics at this meeting include: 2D Materials; Actinides and Rare Earths; Atomic Scale Processing; Fundamental Discoveries in Heterogeneous Catalysis; Advanced Ion Microscopy and Ion Beam Nano-Engineering; New Trends in Structural and Electronic Characterization of Materials, Interfaces, and Surfaces Using Synchrotron and FEL Based Light Sources; Chemical Analysis and Imaging at Interfaces; Spectroscopic Ellipsometry; and for the first time, Radiation Effects on Materials. In addition, there will be a Quantum Information Science Focus Topic that is connected with the recently launched AVS Quantum Science (AQS) journal, and a Mini Symposium on Synthesis of 2D Materials and Device Structures, jointly organized by the 2D Materials Technical Group, the Electronic Materials and Photonics Division, and the Nanoscale Science and Technology Division.
These topics will complement our traditional strong core of fundamental surface science and interfacial phenomena, applied surface science, surface engineering, micro- and nano-electronics, nanoscale science and technology, manufacturing science and technology, thin films, plasma science and technology, micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, electronic and photonic materials, biomaterials, and vacuum science and technology.
We are sure that you will find many sessions that interest you. And if you missed the original abstract submission deadline or have new results that you would like to share, it is not too late! We have just launched our Call for Late Breaking abstracts to provide you with an opportunity to showcase your latest research in one of our oral or poster sessions. We encourage you to participate in this year’s Symposium by attending or submitting a late-breaking abstract before Monday, September 12, 2022, deadline.
In addition to the Technical Program, there will be an extensive equipment and vendor exhibition, a 5 km Run, several special workshops and professional development events, a career center, a number of social events, and many networking and career advancement and recruitment events for those launching their careers as well as for established researchers. If you are new to our AVS community, WELCOME! We are positive that you will find AVS 68 to be a great place to meet new colleagues and friends with whom to share ideas for years to come.
We look forward to seeing you at AVS 68 in Pittsburgh!
Mohan Sankaran Virginia Wheeler
2022 Program Chair 2022 Program Vice-Chair
