In 2016, Stuart Shakespeare (Applied Vacuum Division Engineering Manager) met Professor Lifeng Dong (Emma K. and Carl R.N. Malmstrom Endowed Chair in Physics at Hamline University in St. Paul) at a Minnesota AVS chapter event. The professor had a project underway to establish a high vacuum system for educational and research purposes. His lab had an existing research vacuum chamber and some vacuum pumps, but little else to support a functional vacuum system. Anderson Dahlen gave Professor Dong the encouragement to dream big and together they established a plan to enhance the existing chamber.

Over a period of time, working with the professor and students of Hamline University, Mr. Shakespeare helped add DC Sputtering, RF Sputtering, and Thermal Evaporation to the tool set. Also included was custom design and manufacture of substrate fixturing within the vacuum chamber. By collaborating in this way, during evenings and weekends, the team of students, Professor Dong, and Anderson Dahlen vacuum engineering have built a fully functional thin film tool, which has been used to build and demonstrate working solid state devices.

This is an example of how Anderson Dahlen’s commitment to employees, and therefore the local community, helps build growth and education in science and technology. Having this simple deposition tool has allowed professor Dong to progress his research into thin film solid state devices, and provide a valuable, hands on demonstration tool for students, not often seen in a smaller Liberal Arts college. As professor Dong says “Having the vacuum chamber, along with the donated time and resources from one of your employee’s really helps to give students knowledge of the vacuum industry and its applications that they can’t learn from books”.

Anderson Dahlen is proud to encourage and support growth within the vacuum industry. Becoming involved in the education of new vacuum scientists and engineers with hands-on technology tools has been very rewarding for the company. We also partner with Normandale University’s training for Vacuum Technology, having recently enrolled a project manager for course study there and having hired a graduate of the program.

Anderson Dahlen’s Applied Vacuum Division provides superior quality components, chambers and integrated assemblies for industrial to extremely high vacuum applications. Our expertise stretches across all aspects of vacuum system design and manufacturing, from component production to fully integrated assembly and test.