I teach inorganic chemistry and head a research group focusing on various aspects of CVD, chemical vapour deposition, a chemical method for deposition of thin layers of materials.
Chemistry for the semiconductor age
Research
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) is a fundamental process used in the fabrication of surface coatings and thin films of various materials. CVD processes are used to manufacture all types of microelectronic components and are one of the core technologies underlying our everyday lives in the semiconductor age. But CVD is also a key technology for producing cutting tools for metal machining. My research focuses on understanding and controlling the chemical processes involved in CVD and on developing improved and more sustainable CVD processes.
Olov Planthaber
I studied chemistry at Linköping University from 2000 to 2004 and received my PhD in Materials Science in 2008. After working as an industrial researcher at Sandvik Coromant in Stockholm from 2009 to 2010, I returned to LiU and have been a professor of inorganic chemistry since 2018. My research lies at the intersection of chemistry, physics, materials science, and electronics. My research group therefore consists of chemists, materials scientists, and physicists.
One of our ongoing projects investigates atomic layer processing (ALP) of various nitrides, that is, compounds formed between metals and nitrogen. In ALP, atoms are added to and removed from surfaces to build materials with atomic precision. A key focus here is the group 13 nitrides—AlN, GaN, InN—and their alloys, which are important semiconductors; for example, they are the basis for LEDs. Our research primarily concerns the surface-chemical reactions in these processes. We conduct this work in collaboration with several companies, using measurements at MAX IV and quantum chemical modelling together with Professor Lars Ojamäe.
In another project, we are developing a new CVD method that we call e-CVD, in which free electrons in a plasma discharge are used to drive various surface-chemical reactions, for example, to reduce metal ions in adsorbed precursor molecules to a metallic film. This research is carried out in close collaboration with Professor Daniel Lundin, and we study both plasma-chemical and surface-chemical reactions.
We also investigate how CVD processes can be controlled to deposit materials onto surfaces with complex topology—such as narrow, deep holes—in the most effective way. This is needed, among other things, for the fabrication of computer memory. Here we experiment with introducing various chemical inhibitors and different heavy inert gases.
Despite the major role CVD processes play in our society, very little focus has been placed on making them more sustainable. Together with several companies and Dr. Annelie Carlson, we study various CVD processes using life cycle assessment (LCA) to understand them from a sustainability perspective and to identify how they can be made more sustainable, for example by designing CVD reactors in better ways together with Professor Örjan Danielsson.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in starting a collaboration or participating in a research project.
Olov Planthaber
Teaching
I teach chemistry at both basic and advanced levels. You will meet me in introductory courses in general chemistry and inorganic chemistry at the bachelor level, as well as in materials chemistry courses at the masters level.
My core philosophy in chemistry education is that “learning chemistry is learning to think chemically”, and I want to give you the tools to develop your own intuitive sense for chemistry. I continually try to show how many aspects of chemistry can be traced back to a few simple fundamental principles, such as electronegativity or atomic and molecular orbitals. I also strive to explain how much one can understand a molecule simply from its structure.
Green CVD: How Sustainable is Thin Film Deposition?
In this podcast Henrik Pedersen, Sean Barry, and Jonas Sundqvist talk about their publication in JVSTA about Green CVD. They discuss a new research field, more sustainable thin film deposition practices and more.
Olov Planthaber
Olov Planthaber
