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Gregory Daly

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Gregory Daly

PhD Researcher (SMM CDT)

Research:

My research is jointly funded by the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing CDT and Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology.

I am based at my lab near Bristol but am on campus most Thursdays.

Project Title: Computational Modelling and Optimisation of Plasma Processes.

One of Oxford Instruments’ key technologies is surface modification by plasma processing, which utilises plasmas of different chemical compositions to deposit onto and etch surfaces in a controlled manner – this is the method by which the majority of the world’s semiconductor devices are manufactured. This technology is at the heart of the PlasmaPro device range. Development of this technology and product relies on a detailed understanding of the physics of the plasma and chemical kinetic reactions, with reproducibility and control of the process being key customer issues. Sustainability issues are also important, with a push to reduce the use of greenhouse and ozone-damaging gasses in the process such as SF6.

I will apply physics-based and data-based modelling techniques to model a range of the processes in the PlasmaPro 100 device across a range of scales, from localised processes in the plasma sheath and feature-scale simulation to whole-system modelling. I will apply techniques from Data Science and Machine Learning such as Gaussian Process, Bayesian Methods and Reinforcement learning, working in conjunction with physics-based modelling and theory to develop models from experimental data. To achieve this I am developing experiments at Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology to test various plasma diagnostics and understand their suitability for use in the complex plasma environment.

One target for the project will be to create AI-based control software to manage complex aspects of the plasma environment to enable machine learning based process development.

Background

I graduated with a BSc in Physics from the University of Warwick in 2010, an MSc in the Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors from the University of Birmingham in 2015. I am currently a Senior Innovation Developer at Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology who have very kindly sponsored me to carry out my research as part of an EngD as part of the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing CDT. If you have any questions about careers at Oxford Instruments or the semiconductor industry in general, please feel free to contact me.