Advancing the Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing
As a member-driven, interdisciplinary organization, AVS supports networking among academic, industrial, government, and consulting professionals involved in a variety of disciplines—chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering biology, mathematics, business, sales, etc. through common interests related to the basic science, technology development, and commercialization of materials, interfaces, and processing.
Founded in 1953, AVS is organized into technical divisions and groups that encompass a range of established as well as emerging science and technology areas. There are also regional chapters, international chapters and affiliates, and student chapters that promote communication and networking for professionals and students within a geographical region. AVS is comprised of approximately 4,500 members worldwide and welcomes all member and non-member scientists, technologists, students, and educators to participate in its national and regional events. Drawing members from materials science and vacuum-related industries, equipment suppliers, universities, and national labs, the Northern California Chapter of AVS (NCCAVS) is the Society's largest--supporting all of Northern California and Nevada with activities centered in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The concentration of semiconductor and magnetics- related industry in Northern California enables the Chapter to aim programs based on its traditional strength in vacuum technology toward exploring processes used in these rapidly growing industries. Through technical symposia and exhibitions, users group meetings, short courses and workshops, and other educational activities, the NCCAVS provides opportunities for scientists and technologists from the diverse fields that depend on controlled environments to interact and exchange ideas.
User Groups
User Groups provide a FREE forum for sharing technical knowledge and leading research, the NCCAVS is affiliated with and assists five technical users groups -- Chemical Mechanical Polishing, Junction Technology Group, Plasma Applications, Photovoltaics, and Thin Films. These groups hold regular meetings during which members give technical talks on current developments in the field followed by a group discussion. Membership in each group is FREE and is not limited to AVS members.
CMPUG - Chemical Mechanical Polishing Users Group
Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is a technology used for planarization and surface finishing in the manufacture of silicon wafers, integrated circuits (IC's), magnetic heads and micro-electromechanical devices (MEMS). CMP is recognized as the premiere method for achieving ultraflat and ultrasmooth surfaces when they are most critical, thus enabling many of the advanced electronic devices currently in production. At various steps in the process flow, surface bumps or topography from the underlying layers can cause yield-limiting problems for the next process step. CMP was developed specifically to address these issues. Since its mainstream introduction in the mid-1990's, applications have continued to grow rapidly in both volume and complexity. None of the advanced microprocessor or memory circuits manufactured today would be possible in their current form without multiple CMP process steps. Newer technologies, such as 3D packaging and thru-silicon vias, also continue to leverage CMP for its unique planarization capabilities. The CMP Users Group (CMPUG) was formed in October 1995 to explore the issues and challenges associated with this fast growing technology. The CMPUG's main activity is a quarterly meeting with technical presentations on a topic of interest to the CMP community. CMPUG Website
JTG - Junction Technology Group
The Junction Technology Group (JTG) formed in 1983 as the Silicon Valley Implant Users Group, focuses on the technologies and process issues related to formation of p-n junctions in semiconductor materials, which include ion implantation, rapid thermal processing, CVD growth and related metrologies for applications in transistors, optical sensors, and photo-voltaic materials. The JTG generally holds four topical meetings a year, including a day-long session at Semicon/West in July. JTG Website
PAG - Plasma Applications Group
The Plasma Applications Group welcomes all those having an interest in plasma processing. Currently, the group holds thematic meetings directed to various topics relating to plasma processing. These meetings cover new scientific and technical developments, areas of application such as semiconductors, nanotechnology, biotechnology, surface treatment, etc., and include tutorials, world market and economics, intellectual property, and other areas. There is a diverse audience (typically about 60-70 attendees) from industry, academia and young startups. The presentations and the lively interaction that follows reflect the diversity and wide range of interests in our Silicon Valley and worldwide community. The Plasma Applications Group has a LinkedIn discussion board at www.linkedin.com/groups (keyword: Plasma Applications Group) where interactive topical discussions and recent information is posted. PAG Website
TFUG - Thin Films Users Group
The Thin Film Users Group (TFUG) focuses on state-of-art thin-films deposition and applications for semiconductor and related fields, such as nanotechnology, renewable energy, imaging devices, design for manufacturing, and advanced memory research. It is composed of engineers and scientists from device manufactures, semiconductor equipment venders and universities. The TFUG's main activity is a bi-monthly half-day open seminar from researchers and industry technologists with technical presentations on topics of current interests. Bi-monthly technical meetings and membership is open to anyone involved or interested in thin film processes, including those in device or equipment manufacturing, academia and consulting. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity to interact and discuss problems and issues with others in the field. TFUG Website
Join AVS
Individuals obtain membership in the local chapter by joining the national AVS organization. On a national level, AVS provides a number of resources to members. Each year, the AVS International Symposium and Exhibition features more than 1,200 technical papers and draws approximately 3,000 scientists from around the world. AVS National also sponsors several topical conferences that provide in-depth investigation into a particular technique or field. AVS offers journals, books, monographs, short courses, and videos.
Contact
AVS
110 Yellowstone Drive, Suite 120
Chico, CA 95973
Tel: 530-896-0477
Fax: 530-896-0487
E-mail:
Della Miller, Della@avs.org
Heather Korff, Heather@avs.org
Officers
Chair
Michael Oye
E-mail: michael_oye @ avs.org
Vice-Chair
Somilkumar “Somil” Rathi
E-mail: somil_rathi @ avs.org
Past Chair
Chris Malocsay
E-mail: chris_malocsay @ avs.org
Treasurer
Randy Mundt
E-mail: randy_mundt @ avs.org
Secretary
Brett Cruden
E-mail: brett_cruden @ avs.org
Executive Committee Voting Members
Mehmet Baykara
E-mail: mehmet_baykara @ avs.org
Duane Bingaman
E-mail: duane_bingaman @ avs.org
Susan Felch
E-mail: susan_felch @ avs.org
David Hansen
E-mail: david_hansen @ avs.org
Chris Malocsay
E-mail: chris_malocsay @ avs.org
Zoran Misetic
E-mail: zoran_misetic @ avs.org
Committee Chairs
Education Committee
Susan Felch
E-mail: susan_felch @ avs.org
Nominations Committee
Chris Malocsay
E-mail: chris_malocsay @ avs.org
Scholarship Committee
Brett Cruden
E-mail: brett_cruden @ avs.org
Symposium Committee
Somilkumar “Somil” Rathi
E-mail: somil_rathi @ avs.org
User Group Chairs
Chemical Mechanical Planarization Users Group (CMPUG)
Katrina Mikhaylich
E-mail: k.mikhaylich @ gmail.com
Junction Technology Group (JTG)
Susan Felch
E-mail: sfelch @ sbcglobal.net
Plasma Applications Group (PAG)
Daphne Pappas
E-mail: daphne.pappas @ gmail.com
David Foote
E-mail: footedk @ yahoo.com
Thin Films Users Group (TFUG)
Duane Bingaman
E-mail: duaneb @ lesker.com
Contact
AVS West
110 Yellowstone Drive, Suite 120
Chico, CA 95973
Tel: 530-896-0477
Fax: 530-896-0487
E-mail:
Della Miller, Della @ avs.org
Heather Korff, Heather @ avs.org
NCCAVS 46th Annual Equipment Exhibition | NCCAVS Technical Symposium & Workshop/Tutorial |13th Annual Student Poster Session
Date: February 26, 2026
Location: Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley, 46100 Landing Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538
Time: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (PST)
Contact: Donley Henson & Somil Rathi (Please contact both)
NOW OPEN! - NCCAVS Sponsorship/Exhibit Registration
NCCAVS 2026 Exhibitor List w/ Space Assignments
(subject to change)
FREE TO ATTEND – Advance Registration Recommended
REGISTER FREE!
The NCCAVS sponsors an Annual Equipment Exhibition to showcase products and services of companies supporting vacuum-related industries.
- Largest Attendance of any AVS Chapter or Division
- Workshops from industry Subject Matter Experts
- Speaker events at capacity
- Opportunities to speak with aspiring professionals during the Student Poster Session
- Extended hours provide ample time to engage all attendees
- Lunch, Evening Reception, and Cocktails provided at no cost to attendees
NCCAVS Technical Symposium, Workshop/Tutorial and Student Poster Session
The Northern California Chapter of the AVS will convene its 2026 Technical Symposium around the topical theme of "Engineering Matter One Layer at a Time: The Science of Atomic Scale Processing."
The symposium will provide an international forum for academic researchers, industrial practitioners and engineers from around the world to engage in the exchange of information on state-of-the-art research. The NCCAVS promotes the exchange of opportunities, ideas, friendly relationships and research collaboration.
This event will be held in person at the Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley featuring a student poster session, 50+ vendors, plus representation from top companies, universities, and government organizations.
NCCAVS Symposium on Atomic Scale Processing Agenda
AM Session (Chair/Moderator: Donley Henson/Somil Rathi)
Tutorials on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Atomic Layer Etching (ALE)
9:00-9:15 AM: Welcome Remarks, Donley Henson, and Somil Rathi, NCCAVS
9:15-10:15 AM: One Atom at a Time: ALD Adoption by Semiconductor Industry, Dr. Mihaela Balseanu, Corporate Director, ASM
10:15-10:30 AM: Coffee Break, Exhibits, Student Poster Setup
10:30-11:30 AM: Wearing The Hat Backwards: Two Decades of Atomic Layer Deposition—From Applications to Fundamentals, Prof. Parag Banerjee, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Central Florida
11:30 AM-12:30 PM: Fundamentals of Low-Temperature Plasmas and Their Applications in Atomic Layer Processing, Prof. Sumit Agarwal, Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines12:30-2:00 PM: Lunch, Exhibitts, Networking
PM Session (Chair/Moderator: Somil Rathi/Peter Meisenheimer)
Invited and Contributed Talks
2:00-2:30 PM: (INVITED) Enabling High‑Performance Logic Technology at 2 nm Nodes via ALD and ALE Process Engineering, Dr. Gaurav Thareja, Director, Applied Materials
2:30-3:00 PM: (INVITED) Piezoelectric and Ferroelectric ALD Thin Films for Next-Generation MEMS, Dr. Nicholas Strnad, Materials Research Engineer, Army Research Lab
3:00-3:15 PM: Sponsor Presentations - Coffee Break, Exhibits, Student Poster Setup
3:15-3:30 PM: IR-PiFM: Nanoscale Chemical Analysis and Mapping for ALD Process Development and Control, Dr. Sung Park, CEO, Molecular Vista
3:30-4:00 PM: (INVITED) Precursor Design for Atomic Layer Deposition and Future Trends, Dr. Corbin Feit, Research Scientist, Air Liquide
4:00-4:30 PM: (INVITED) Panmo Cloud - Design-of-Experiments and Process Modeling for Advanced Semiconductor Processing, Dr. Muthiah Annamalai, Founder, PanMo LLC
4:30-4:45 PM: Atomic Layer Etch Process for Nb and Ta Using CF4/H2 Plasma, Dr. Russ Renzas, Director, Davidson Foundation Cleanroom, University of Nevada, Reno
Student Posters:
4:00-5:30 PM: All student posters will be displayed and judged
NCCAVS 2026 Chairs and Committee:
| Exhibition Chairs: Donley Henson Chris Malocsay Symposium Chair: Somil Rathi Student Poster Session Chair: Mike Oye |
Organizing Committee: Zoran Misetic (TFUG) Duane Bingaman (TFUG) Michael Current (JTG) Susan Felch (JTG ) David Hansen (CMPUG) Daphne Pappas (PAG) |
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Short Courses
Taught by industry professionals, AVS Short courses offer training for technicians, scientists, and engineers in three broad categories:
Vacuum and Equipment Technology Topics related to vacuum and processing equipment design, operation, and maintenance.
Materials and Interface Characterization Topics covering chemical, physical, and electrical characterization of films, surfaces, particles, and interfaces.
Materials Processing Topics covering materials processing, modification, and integration.
AVS courses not only facilitate student/instructor interaction, but provide networking opportunities with your peers. If you are interested in a particular course that is not currently being offered, then use our Courses by Request form to make a suggestion.
If your company would like to host a short course, courses can also be customized to suit your company's needs/goals through our Onsite Training Program and taught at your facility. For a complete listing of available courses or to learn more about our instructors click: Short Course Catalog or Short Course Instructors.
Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Workshops
Each year we participate in Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) science workshops for young women in 6th grade through high school. This year we'll make presentations at four separate programs. If you are female and would like to volunteer to participate please contact Kathy Arnold, kvarnold.avs@gmail.com.
Each Spring we participate in Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) science workshops for young women in 6th grade through high school. This year we'll make presentations at four separate programs. More information is available below. If you are female and would like to volunteer to participate please contact Kathy Arnold, kvarnold.avs@gmail.com.
Provides a free one period session of demos and experiments in Science, for grades K through 12 in our schools. Our Presenter brings in the vacuum apparatus, to conduct the program in the individual teacher’s classroom. Since starting the SIA program, we have worked with over 43,000 students in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our intention is to pique the interest of the students in Science, and demystify some of the words of Science, such as atmospheric pressure, vaporization, gas expansion, etc.
The SIA has a dedicated email account at nccavs_education@avs.org.
- The Bell Jar –The World of Amateur Vacuum - Hints for low-cost experiments and demonstrations.
- Nanoworld For Kids -University of Wisconsin
- San Francisco Exploratorium
- San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation
- Delights of Chemistry - Univ. of Leeds (England)
- Brainpop – Animations on science, technology, and health for 5th to 8th grade
- Optics for Kids – for 6- to 12-year-olds
- A Guide to Stereograms
Each year the NCCAVS awards prizes for outstanding physical science entries at the Contra Costa County, Alameda County, and Synopsys Santa Clara Valley Science Fairs.
The school and regional Science Fair season is January-April. Volunteer to be a Science Fair judge in your area. Contact our coordinator Larry Heath for details.
Visit the Fair websites for details:
- Alameda Country Science & Engineering Fair
- Tri-Valley Science Fair (East Bay)
- San Mateo County Science Fair
- San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair
- Santa Clara Valley Science Fair (Synopsys)
- Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship
- Santa Cruz Science Fair
- Contra Costa County Science Fair (Concord)
- Chico Science Fair
- Sonoma County Science Fair
California Association of Science Educators
Vacuum Workshop handout from 2010 presentation
More Opportunities For Science Educators
- IISME – Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education. Summer fellowships for K-12 teachers in the SF Bay Area.
- California Science Project
We have organized tours of the Computer History Museum, the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC), Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Advanced Light Source (ALS). If you would like to help organize a tour please contact Randy Mundt.
Visit the SLAC Virtual Tour website for a preview and map to SLAC
Download a description of CSTA and EYH demonstrations and experiments in pdf format. A list of equipment and materials, the procedure, and supplemental information is included:
- Low cost Hand Held Vacuum Pump Demonstrations (pdf)
- Simple Vacuum Demonstrations with Syringe (pdf)
- Trash Bag Hug (pdf)
- Low-cost Vacuum Experiments (360k pdf)
- Bargain Basement Lung Demonstration (pdf)
- Is There Sound in a Vacuum? (148k pdf)
- Strange Effects in a Vacuum (391k pdf)
- Triple Point Experiment (296k pdf)
- Atmospheric Bar (116k pdf)
- How To Make Water Move Uphill
- Atmospheric Pressure Verses the Weight of Water
Science Teachers - Do you have a vacuum pump that needs service?
Download helpful hints and a list of vendors offering discounted services:
Emeritus Award
Honors Chapter members who have provided exemplary service to the Chapter and its membership.
NCCAVS Scholarship
NCCAVS Scholarship for student(s) who show exceptional promise in areas of interest to the AVS.
PAST AWARD WINNERS
2026 - Riley Nold, UC Berkeley
2026 - Burak Okur, University of Nevada Reno
2025 - Dylan Cleveland, UC Berkeley
2025 - Sanchay Gadia, UC Berkeley
2023 - Bingzhe Yu, UCSC
2022 - Mary Ann Mort, UC Davis
2021 - Cole Gurtner, Stanford
2019 - Austin Dymont, UC Santa Cruz
2018 - Cynthia Melendrez, San Jose State
2017 - Andrea Cruz, UC Santa Cruz
The NCCAVS Board established a Chapter Emeritus Award designed to honor Chapter members who have provided exemplary service to the Chapter and its membership. It is time once again to take nominations for this award.
As in any volunteer organization, there are always a few members whose contributions are critical to the success of the organization. These NCCAVS members have usually served in multiple roles (User Group Chairs, Chapter Chair, Symposia Chair, etc.) over many years.
An NCCAVS Emeritus Award will consist of:
- An invitation to the NCCAVS Annual Dinner
- An award (TBD) to be provided at the NCCAVS Annual Dinner
- AVS Membership dues paid by the AVS Northern California Chapter for as long as the member continues to play an active role in the NCCAVS and its User Groups.
To be considered for a Chapter Emeritus Award, a member must have been an AVS member for more than 10 years and must be actively engaged in the Chapter or a User Group. The Chapter is setting a limit of 5 active Emeritus awardees. An Emeritus awardee may not be a voting member of the NCCAVS Executive Committee.
If you are, or know an NCCAVS member who should be considered for this recognition, or have any questions, please contact the NCCAVS Nominations Chair, Michael Oye, michael_oye@avs.org.
The Northern California Chapter of the AVS (NCCAVS) is awarding an scholarship for student(s) who show exceptional promise in areas of interest to the AVS. The AVS is an interdisciplinary, professional society that supports networking among academic, industrial, government, and consulting professionals involved in a variety of disciplines - chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, engineering - through common interests related to the basic science, technology development, and commercialization of materials, interfaces, and related processing.
The scholarship is for $5,000 per year, renewable up to four years as long as the student remains in good standing with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The student must be enrolled full time in a scientific or technical area of study relevant to the AVS. The awardee will receive a complimentary student membership in the AVS and will be expected to participate and be involved in the organization of the NCCAVS annual equipment exhibition, technical symposium, and student poster session.
Requirements for the scholarship include:
- Current undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a 4-year college or university within the geographic bounds of the NCCAVS (which includes California zip codes 93700-96099 and Nevada)
- Declared major in a field that displays relevance to the AVS.
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
To apply, submit the following materials to nccavs_scholarship@avs.org:
- A one-page statement of purpose, describing the applicant’s career interests and how it may be relevant and contribute to the mission of the AVS. (See http://avs.org/about for more information)
- One letter of recommendation from someone who can assess the student’s potential for areas of interest to the AVS. (The letter may be sent separately by the reference)
- Unofficial Academic Transcript. Abbreviations of classes should be correlated with class titles if not provided on the transcript. Official Transcripts will be required prior to award
Applications are due no later than April 20, 2026.
Only full submissions will be reviewed. The award will be announced by May 29, 2026. Scholarship payments will be made directly to the University.
NCCAVS Scholarship Opportunity (pdf)
TESTIMONIALS
The NCCAVS scholarship will help me travel to conferences this academic year so I can present, learn, and interact with the larger scientific and engineering community. My goal is to help improve renewable energy systems, and this scholarship help makes that possible.
Mary Ann Mort
she/they
Ph.D. Student, Hunt Vacuum Microelectronics Lab, UC Davis
Vice President, Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association
The NCCAVS scholarship will help me travel to conferences this academic year so I can present, learn, and interact with the larger scientific and engineering community. My goal is to help improve renewable energy systems, and this scholarship help makes that possible.
Bingzhe Yu
Ph.D. student
PSB190, Chen Lab
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California
Santa Cruz, CA 95064