David P. Adams

David P. Adams is currently a Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a member of the Laboratories’ Material, Chemical and Physical Sciences Center, he leads several teams involved with the research of thin film deposition processes, process-structure-property relationships and microfabrication.

David received a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Virginia in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1994. He joined Sandia National Laboratories’ Surface and Interface Science Department as a postdoctoral appointee in 1994. He was then promoted to technical staff in 1997 and attained Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff in 2003 having worked in several SNL divisions. His recent studies have provided insight into the behavior of reactive multilayer films that undergo rapid, self-sustained deflagration reactions, emerging phase change materials for microelectronics, and thermally-stable nanocrystalline coatings. During his tenure, he has mentored many early-career staff, postdocs and graduate students from various universities.

David has been an AVS member since 1996 having served the society as AVS Director (2020-2021), Short Course Committee Chair (2018-present), Advanced Surface Engineering Division Executive Committee Chair (2019), Advanced Surface Engineering Division Committee Member (2016-2018), Thin Film Division Executive Committee Member (2015-2016), and Short Course Committee Member (2015-2017). He is also an active member of the AVS New Mexico Chapter having served as Chapter Chair (2002- 2003; 2014-2015), Short Course Chair (2000–present), Executive Committee member, short course instructor, and science fair judge.

David helped initiate the AVS Webinar program and oversaw the establishment of an AVS Division level Distinguished Thin Film Technologist Award to recognize individuals who have provided exceptional technical support of research and development activities during their career.