Vacuum science and plasma based technologies have historically been at the core of surface science and thin film growth. Controlled vacuum environments enable precise manipulation of matter, while plasmas and energetic species provide highly reactive and non-equilibrium conditions that drive atomic scale processing, advanced materials synthesis and surface modification.

Modern materials research increasingly demands atomic level precision, controlled energy delivery and engineered interfaces. Techniques such as Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced processes and other vapor phase methods rely on vacuum and reactive environments to achieve control over thickness, stoichiometry, microstructure and functional properties. These approaches span equilibrium and non-equilibrium growth regimes, enabling the fabrication of complex thin films, heterostructures, functional surfaces and nanoparticles.

This symposium aims to provide a forum for discussion of current research and technological developments in vacuum and plasma based materials processing, from fundamental principles to advanced technological applications.