General Information -
Cost Per Course:
- AVS Platinum Member
$1,045 (2-day course); $715 (1-day course)
- Non-Member
- $1,120 (2-day course); $790 (1-day course)
- Full-time Student/Requires Student I.D.
$400 (2-day course); $200 (1-day course)
- Multi-Course and Group Discounts Available
Contact Heather Korff, heather@avs.org.
Course Includes: Course notes and lunch.
Location:
Double Tree by Hilton-Westminster
8773 Yates Drive
Westminster, CO 80031-3680
Course Times: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Check your timezone!
Annual Symposium -
The AVS Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Symposium will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026 also at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver-Westminster. You can talk with vendors, attend an introduction to vacuum tutorial and/or Labview tutorial, attend free short talks on current research, enjoy free lunch, discuss new ideas at the student poster session, and socialize during a networking mixer with a selection of food and alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, and door prizes.
Short course registrants are automatically registered and welcome to participate.
An Overview of Applied Vacuum Technology -
- Be introduced to the fundamental concepts of vacuum technology.
- Learn about common vacuum system hardware and instrumentation, including pumps, gauges, flanges, valves, and feedthroughs.
- Understand applications and processes involving vacuum technology.
- Benefit from a "just right" two-day course (when you don't have the time or the need to attend a four-day introductory course)..
Instructor
Tim Gessert
Managing Member
Gessert Consulting, LLC
Instructor
Neil Peacock
Consultant
Pine Place Consulting, LLC
Partial Pressure Analysis with Residual Gas Analyzers-
- Provide the basic knowledge required to operate residual gas analyzers (RGAs) in vacuum applications ranging from UHV to atmospheric pressures.
Learn:
- Basic operation principles of mass spectrometers for residual gas analysis.
- How to specify the best RGA system configuration for your application.
- How to configure RGA software and process control I/O to perform gas analysis and track real-time changes in gas composition.
- Routine maintenance, tuning and calibration procedures.
- Quantitative compositional analysis and process control (actionable information) options.
- Spectral Interpretation: Quickly and effectively interpret typical RGA spectra. Monitor the quality of your vacuum process. Fingerprint your gas chamber. Chamber matching opportunities.
- How to differentiate between background and process gases
- Typical chemical interactions between RGAs and sampled gases.
Read more...
Instructor
Gerardo Brucker
Chief Scientist and Business Unit Chief Technology Officer for Mass Spectrometry and Indirect Pressure Measurement
MKS Instruments, Inc.
Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Overview
- Gain a "big picture" understanding of the steps involved in making and packaging an integrated circuit.
- Learn the jargon associated with the microelectronics manufacturing industry.
- Learn the key concepts and process parameters of each process step.
Instructor
Bridget Rogers
Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Dept.
Vanderbilt University
Controlling Contamination in Vacuum Systems-
- Understand the three phases of vacuum chamber contamination: gases, films, and particulates.
- Learn the origins of vacuum chamber contaminants and methods for controlling or eliminating them.
Sputter Deposition-
- Understand the fundamentals of sputter deposition
- Review and discuss options for sputtering system design
- Learn how rf sputtering differs from dc sputtering and understand how rf sputtering works
- Understand reactive sputtering
- Understand thin film properties are modified by adjusting sputtering parameters
Instructor
Angus Rockett
Head of Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
Other AVS Events -
AVS e-Talks and Webinars 2026
| e-Talks and Webinars | Dates and Times | Type |
|---|---|---|
Atomic Layer Etching of Electronic and Quantum Materials for Revolutionary Solid-state Technologies |
August 19, 2026 - 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (ET) |
FREE Zoom |
Mentoring Up: Ways to Get What You Need From Your Mentors |
August 27, 2026 - 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (ET) |
FREE Zoom Webinar |
Beyond the Checkbox: Elevating Peer Review Through Structured Evaluation |
September 15, 2026 - 2:00pm-3:30pm (ET) |
FREE Zoom Webinar |
Using Expectations Documents as a Tool to Improve Your Mentoring Relationships |
September 17, 2026 - 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (ET) |
FREE Zoom Webinar |
Have an Idea for an e-Talk or Webinar?
We welcome suggestions for future Webinars and/or e-Talk topics and speakers.
Please e-mail Webinar suggestions to David Adams, AVS Short Course Chair, david_adams@avs.org.
Please e-mail e-Talk suggestions to Vinita Lal, AVS e-Talk Chair, vinita_lal@avs.org.
AVS National Short Courses 2026
| Short Courses | Dates and Times | Type |
|---|---|---|
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
|
Plasma-enhanced CVD: Fundamentals, Techniques, and Applications (2 half-days) |
Tuesday-Wednesday, September 29-30, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
Cleaning and Surface Conditioning Techniques for Integrated Circuit Manufacturing (2 Full Days) |
Tuesday, September 29, 11:45 a.m.-6:45 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
Cryopump Technology (1 Full Day) |
Thursday, October 1, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
Monday-Thursday, Nov. 9-12, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
In-Person |
AVS Courses by Request
If you are interested in seeing an AVS Short Course offered in 2025 please complete the AVS Courses by Request form. (Recommended for individual training)
AVS Onsite/Online Training
Do your employees need training now? Are budgets tight? Let AVS bring our short courses and qualified instructors to your organization either onsite at your facility or virtually via Zoom. Please complete the AVS Onsite/Online Training request form to receive a proposal. (Recommended for group training)