About SP3

The Space Plasma Power and Propulsion (SP³) Group was founded in 1986 as an international quality research team to undertake fundamental research in low temperature plasma physics, applied to space and materials processing. In the early 1980s, the Plasma Research Laboratory developed large volume plasmas for research into the complex wave-particle interaction which underlie the phenomena of auroral displays and the emission of radiation from compact astrophysical objects. During this period, the microelectronic industry was starting to expand dramatically, and the need for a major improvement in wafer processing systems became apparent. By the 1990s, the ANU-patented Helicon plasma was regarded as a forerunner for the next generation of processing systems. The SP³ group is still the major innovator in this area, with 4 patents in the last 2 years and a large number of international visitors spending time at the ANU.