Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 73 This version created on 05 October 2006 The Onset of Planet Formation in Brown Dwarf Disks Daniel Apai, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson Ilaria Pascucci, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson Jeroen Bouwman, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg Antonella Natta, Arcetri Observatory, Florence Thomas Henning, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg Cornelis Dullemond, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg Brown dwarf disks serve as an excellent laboratory for studying the evolution of protoplanetary disks in an environment widely different from that of young stars. This difference in the parameters enables us to disentangle the otherwise degenerate effects of stellar luminosity, disk mass, and temperature distribution. Here we present results from an ongoing Spitzer/IRS survey of young brown dwarf disks in the Cha I and rho Oph star-forming regions. The high quality mid-infrared spectroscopy enables the detection of spectral features from silicates, both amorphous and crystalline. Quantitive analysis of the spectra demonstrates that grain growth and crystallization, along with dust settling is ubiquitus in brown dwarf disks, similarly to disks around young stars. These processes are the first steps toward planet formation, suggesting the robustness of this process. ----------------------------------