Colin Wolden

Weaver Distinguished Professor

BS - University of Minnesota
MS - MIT School of Chemical Engineering Practice
PhD - MIT

Research Description

Our research interests are in the area of the thin film synthesis. Deposition techniques include plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), CVD, sputtering, and electrodeposition. A central theme is developing novel processing techniques that impart nanoscale control while retaining high rate for the efficient synthesis of mesoscale structures (0.05 -10 mm). Thin films are ubiquitous in advanced technology, and the materials we synthesize serve as integral components in photovoltaics, membranes, opto-electronics, electrochromics, thin film batteries, functional coatings, and catalysis. Investigation of these deposition processes is guided by detailed reactive flow modeling and experimental measures of both gas-phase and surface kinetics. In-situ process diagnostics and ex-situ materials characterization are used to gain a fundamental understanding of the process–structure–performance relationships in these systems.

Visit our lab page for a more information on current projects in the lab.

selected Publications

P. C. Rowlette, M. Canon, C. A. Wolden, "Digital control of SiO₂ film deposition at room temperature", J. Phys. Chem. C 113, 6906 (2009)

M. T. Seman, D. N. Richards, P. Rowlette, and C. A. Wolden, "An analysis of the deposition mechanisms involved during self-limiting growth of aluminum oxide by pulsed PECVD", Chem. Vap. Deposition 14, 296 (2008).

M. Seman, J. J. Robbins, S. Agarwal, and C. A. Wolden, "Self-limiting growth of tantalum oxide thin films by pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition", Appl. Phys. Lett. 90,131504 (2007).

S. Kosaraju, I. Repins and C. A. Wolden, "Formation of chalcogen containing plasmas and their use in the synthesis of photovoltaic absorbers", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 23, 1202 (2005).

J. M. Kestner, S. McElvain, S. Kelly, L. M. Woods, T. R. Ohno, and C. A. Wolden, "An experimental and modeling analysis of vapor transport deposition of cadmium telluride", Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 83, 55-65 (2004).

J. J. Robbins and C. A. Wolden, "High mobility oxides: engineered structures to overcome intrinsic performance limitations", Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 3933-3935 (2003).