News & Highlights
News from the Center.
Grant to broaden student expertise in sustainable materials
News :: Anne Ju, Cornell Chronicle :: Sep 17, 2009
A new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support 30 graduate students working in the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) on the development of materials to advance sustainable living. The students will work on projects ranging from the development of renewable alternatives to petroleum-based feedstocks used in consumer polymers, to the design of inexpensive, nanostructured materials for solar cells. more.
Séamus Davis to receive prestigious prize for superconductivity experiments
News :: By Bill Steele of ChornicleOnline :: Jul 7, 2009
J. C. Séamus Davis, the James Gilbert White Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences at Cornell, will receive the 2009 Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Prize for Superconductivity Experiments. The prize, regarded as one of the most prestigious in the field, is awarded every three years for outstanding experiments that illuminate the nature of superconductivity. more.
When a Good Nanoparticle Goes Bad
News :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 10, 2008
Understanding how nanoparticles change form may help solve energy needs Nanoscale metal particles are used to speed up or "catalyze" many processes, such as the conversion of chemical energy to electricity in fuel cells or the reduction of pollution in automobile catalytic converters. Since these tiny particles naturally have a wide variety of shapes and sizes, chemists have always suspected that some particles work much better than others. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member – Peng Chen
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 22, 2008
The CCMR Executive Committee accepted the application of a new faculty member on February 15, 2008. Peng Chen joined the Cornell faculty in 2005. He is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Prior to that, Dr. Chen was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University specializing in Single Molecule Biophysics. Dr. Chen obtained his B. S. in Chemistry (1997) from Nanjing University in China, and his Ph. D. in Chemistry (2003) from Stanford University. Dr. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member – Susan Daniel
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 22, 2008
The CCMR Executive Committee accepted the application of a new faculty member on February 15, 2008. Susan Daniel joined the Cornell faculty in July of last year. She is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She received all three of her degrees in Chemical Engineering (B. S. 1999, M. S. 2001, Ph. D. 2005) from Lehigh University. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member – Derek Warner
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 19, 2008
The CCMR Executive Committee accepted the application of a new faculty member on February 15, 2008. Derek Warner joined the Cornell faculty in October of last year. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Structural Engineering within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Warner was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University. During his time at Brown, Dr. more.
CCMR Announces Fifth Microscopy Image Contest Winners
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 1, 2008
In an ongoing effort to highlight the excellent materials research taking place in shared experimental facilities on campus, the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) has announced nine awards for images taken recently with the Center's various microscopes and probes. A grand prize of $100 campus store gift certificate and three first place category prizes of $50 campus store gift certificates were awarded to participants along with a framed commemorative certificate. more.
Physicist's innovative technique makes atomic-level microscopy at least 100 times faster
News :: Lauren Gold, Cornell Chronicle :: Dec 12, 2007
Using an existing technique in a novel way, Cornell physicist and CCMR member Keith Schwab and colleagues at Cornell and Boston University have made the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) – which can image individual atoms on a surface – at least 100 times faster. more.
CCMR Grad-student John Ferguson wins Posters award at the Fall meeting of the Materials Research Society
News :: CCMR Staff :: Dec 12, 2007
CCMR graduate student John Ferguson of the Materials Science and Engineering Department and member of the group of Professor Joel Brock (Applied and Engineering Physics) received a poster award at the Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society. The title of his poster was "Time Resolved In-Situ Diffuse X-ray Scattering Measurements of the Surface Morphology of Homoepitaxial SrTiO3 Films During Pulsed Laser Deposition. " The poster was co-authored with Gokhan Arikan 2,4 , Arthur R. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member – Tobias Hanrath
News :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 7, 2007
Tobias Hanrath, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering joined the Cornell faculty in July of this year. He obtained both his M. S. and Ph. D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas-Austin. His work at the University of Texas focused on the supercritical fluid synthesis of nanowires. more.
New IGERT program started at CCMR
News :: CCMR Staff :: Sep 25, 2007
The CCMR was recently awarded a NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) grant to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. Physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers often deal with the same problems, but they use different jargon. Talking to and collaborating with each other can be difficult, if not impossible. The new $2. more.
Welcome New CCMR Associate Director – Jurriaan Gerretsen
News :: CCMR Staff :: Aug 20, 2007
Dr. Jurriaan Gerretsen joins the Cornell Center for Materials Research as the new Associate Director. Jurriaan brings a wealth of experience to this job while additionally serving as the Associate Director of the Center for NanoScale Systems (CNS). Prior to joining Cornell University in 2003, Jurriaan worked six years for Corning, Inc. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member – Antje Baeumner
News :: CCMR Staff :: Aug 17, 2007
Antje Baeumner came to Cornell in 1997 where she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Food Science and Technology. In 1999, she became an Assistant Professor in the department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and in 2004 she was promoted to Associate Professor within the department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Baeumner received her Master of Science degree in Biotechnology (1994) from the Technische Universität Braunschweig and her Ph. D. more.
Frozen Silicon “Trees” tell Story of Melting
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Jun 27, 2007
Scientists have long predicted that some crystals don’t melt all at once. Instead, the topmost layer of atoms melts before the other layers, creating a liquid that is only one atom thick. Seeing this liquid is fiendishly difficult, though. Researchers at Cornell have verified this prediction using a clever trick — they watch the melting of ultraflat silicon crystals. The silicon crystal is heated to a temperature just below its normal melting point, then cooled. more.
Developing a “Lab-on-a-Particle”
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: May 14, 2007
Cornell researchers have developed nanoscale particles that can be loaded with molecular “cargo,” such as a drug or other therapeutic agent. When delivered to their target, the nanoscale particles release their cargo and then sense the reaction to the release. Thesemultifunctional nanoparticles form the basis of a “Lab-on-a-Particle” — nanoscale structures that are capable of performing multiple tasks. more.
Switchable Molecules for the World’s Smallest Switch
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: May 14, 2007
Some molecules conduct electricity; others don’t. Researchers at Cornell are working to make the world’s smallest switch out of a single molecule. To do this, they have created a molecule that can be switched from conducting to non-conducting with a flash of light. In its “normal” state, the molecule is orange and doesn’t conduct electricity. more.
Beating the World’s Smallest Drum
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: May 1, 2007
Scientists at Cornell have reached the ultimate limit in miniaturization by making a drum with a single-atom-thick drumhead. In their device, a single atomic sheet of graphite (a so-called graphene sheet) is stretched across a silicon trench. By shining a laser on the surface, the scientists can show that only one atomic layer of graphite is present. more.
Netravali Start-Up Wins $100K Award
News :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 9, 2007
Congratulations to Professor Anil Netravali, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, and Patrick Govang, President of e2e Materials! e2e Materials is the winner of the first EssentialConnections. org Emerging Business competition, sponsored by M&T Bank, New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC), and other organizations. The award was announced on April 5 at the annual meeting of the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York, held in Syracuse. more.
CCMR Announces New Microscopy Image Contest Winners
News :: CCMR Staff :: Mar 2, 2007
In an ongoing effort to highlight the excellent materials research taking place in shared experimental facilities on campus, the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) has announced nine awards for images taken recently with center's various microscopes and probes. Four first place prizes of fifty dollars plus a commemorative certificate were awarded to participants. Addition five honorable mention certificates were conferred. more.
New Surface Tool in Clark Materials Facility
News :: CCMR Staff :: Mar 2, 2007
CCMR has a new tool for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) also known as Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA). This instrument was donated to CCMR by Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY. The system is a Surface Science Instruments (SSI) model SSX-100 which utilizes monochromated Aluminum K-alpha x-rays (1486. 6 eV) to strike a sample surface. Electrons bound with lower binding energy than the x-ray energy can be ejected from the atom (XPS or Auger process). more.
Large-Format Poster Printers Available to Cornell Community
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 16, 2007
Two new 60-inch Kodak 1200i poster printers are now available for general use in the CCMR Computing Facility. Poster printing costs eight dollars per linear foot. The printers are located in E17 Clark Hall and 302 Thurston Hall. Registered CCMR computing users and Cornell University users with valid CIT NetIDs may both use the printers, but Cornell University users must provide a university account number when submitting a job. Printing a poster is easy. Use the web interface at http://cf. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Richard Hennig
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 7, 2007
Richard Hennig joined the Cornell faculty in 2006. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Hennig was a Research Scientist (2004-2006) within the Physics Department at Ohio State University. Dr. Hennig obtained his Ph. D. in Physics from Washington University (St. Louis) in 2000 and his Diplom in Physics at the Georg-August University Gottingen in 1996. Dr. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Sunil Bhave
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 7, 2007
Sunil Bhave joined the Cornell faculty in September 2004 where he serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Bhave obtained both his Ph. D (2004) and his B. S. (1998) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. more.
CCMR Grad Student Describes Experiences in Iraq
News :: CCMR Staff :: Jan 30, 2007
Daniel Freedman, a CCMR graduate student, spoke on January 22, 2007 to a very large crowd at Schwartz Auditorium about his experiences in the Iraq desert. Daniel, who works under Professor Tomás Arias in the Physics department, enlisted in the US Army National Guard after passing his A-exam in 2002. He was granted a military leave of absence from Cornell and was deployed for an overseas combat tour in December of 2003 where he remained mobilized throughout 2004 and into 2005. more.
Using Templates to Conquer Disorder
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Dec 5, 2006
Engineers have long dreamed of making inexpensive electronics out of thin films of organic materials, such as plastics. This dream has been met by a significant challenge —disorder. Organic films are typically composed of tiny crystals. Although each crystal is perfect, the molecules in one crystal are aligned in a different direction than those in the next crystal. This random order impedes the flow of electricity and leads to poor performance. more.
Engineering Structural Colors Using Nonspherical Building Blocks
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 23, 2006
Structural colors, not originating from pigments but rather from the interaction of light with microscopic features, can be observed in many living systems including butterfly wings, spines of marine animals, peacock feathers, and the brilliant blue facial skin of primates. Examination of the microscopic structure of these tissues reveals the attributes of a photonic crystal system –fine-scale periodic arrays which serve as color-specific mirrors. more.
Better Electronics from Silicon Corrals
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 15, 2006
Today's electronic devices are so small and so sensitive that even atomic‐scale defects can degrade their performance. Controlling individual atoms on a silicon chip would seem to be a Herculean task; however, we have developed a simple method of "corraling" these defects and improving the performance of electronic devices. The image at right shows a silicon wafer with a single corral. more.
Tight Nanostrings Have Better Tone
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 8, 2006
Stradivarius violins and our new nanostrings have one thing in common —they both produce very high quality tones (or vibrations). In physics, the quality of a string is a measure of the number of times the string will vibrate after being plucked. A high quality string, such as the one on a violin, will ring long after it is plucked. more.
Do not bend, fold or mutilate
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 2, 2006
Carbon nanotubes are hollow tubes made from single sheets of carbon atoms. Along the length of the tube they can be excellent electrical conductors, and they are also the stiffest known material. However, just like a drinking straw, they can be easily deformed or pinched in a radial direction. Attaching electrical contacts to the tube has always proved challenging —some contacts are good, others a thousand times worse. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Keith Schwab
News :: CCMR Staff :: Sep 25, 2006
The CCMR Executive Committee accepted the application of a new faculty member on September 1, 2006. Keith Schwab, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, joined the Cornell faculty in April of this year. Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Schwab was a Senior Physicist at the National Security Agency and also continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor of Physics over at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. more.
Cornell Center for Materials Research to benefit from $1 million endowment gift
News :: CCMR Staff :: Aug 24, 2006
Former Cornell vice president and physics professor Robert L. Sproull and his wife, Mary, have established a significant new endowment to benefit the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR). The $1 million gift to create the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Fund will provide a stable source of new funding to enhance the productivity, research capabilities, and reputation of the CCMR. more.
Welcome, Jane Earle
News :: CCMR Staff :: Aug 22, 2006
Jane Earle joins CCMR's Educational Programs Office (EPO) as the Educational Programs Coordinator. Jane is an Ithaca native who received her B. S. in Human Development from Cornell University in 2004. She then moved to New York City to pursue her M. Ed. at Bank Street College of Education, which she received in July of 2006. While in New York, she taught at the Harlem Day Charter School. more.
CCMR Announces New Microscopy Image Contest Winners
News :: CCMR Staff :: Aug 18, 2006
In an ongoing effort to highlight the excellent materials research taking place in shared experimental facilities on campus, the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) has announced nine awards for images taken recently with center's various microscopes and probes. Four first place prizes of fifty dollars plus a commemorative certificate were awarded, in addition five honorable mention certificates were conferred. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Juan Hinestroza
News :: CCMR Staff :: Mar 10, 2006
Juan Hinestroza joined the Cornell faculty in January 2006. He is an Assistant Professor in the department of Textiles and Apparel in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Hinestroza was on the faculty at the College of Textiles of North Carolina State University. Dr. Hinestroza obtained his Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University in May 2002. more.
CCMR Seed Grows Into a Company
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Jan 27, 2006
Using NSF Seed funding, Chemistry Professor Geoffrey Coates, a member of the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR), discovered a catalyst system that provides unprecedented activity and control in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers using carbon dioxide — a known greenhouse gas — as a starting material. This increased control will allow chemists to tailor the properties of these materials, known as aliphatic polycarbonates, to specific applications. more.
Welcome, LiLynn Graves
News :: CCMR Staff :: Jan 12, 2006
LiLynn Graves joins CCMR's staff as the graphic and web designer. Formerly of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, she organized the student teaching labs and created the multimedia teaching modules for the Department of Clinical Sciences. Prior to that she headed the design team for the Amrion/Whole Foods Industry in Boulder, Colorado. In Colorado, LiLynn competed professionally in cross-country skiing for several years along with mountain biking and trail running. more.
Welcome New CCMR Director - Melissa Hines
News :: CCMR Staff :: Jan 11, 2006
Melissa Hines has no idea what set her on a career path towards materials science. But her desire to be a chemist has not wavered since she was seven years old. This drive has helped to propel her to leadership at an interdisciplinary research centre comprising some 100 faculty members from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Itai Cohen
News :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 23, 2005
Itai Cohen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP). He obtained his BS degree in Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his Ph. D. in 2001 from the University of Chicago also in Physics. He received his postdoctoral training at Harvard University where he focused on the study of complex fluids, including colloids and liquid crystals. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Lara Estroff
News :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 17, 2005
Lara Estroff joined the Cornell faculty in August of 2005. She obtained her BA in 1997 from Swarthmore College majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Anthropology. Her Ph. D. in Chemistry was obtained from Yale University in 2003. She received her postdoctoral training at Harvard University focusing on bivalency in the immune system and designing and evaluating multivalent polymeric inhibitors that treat and/or prevent bacterial infections. more.
CCMR renewed until 2011
News :: CCMR Staff :: Sep 27, 2005
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has renewed eleven existing Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) and created two new centers in a recently concluded open competition. (A total of 29 Centers are currently supported by the MRSEC program with annual NSF support of $52. 5 million. ) The MRSECs constitute a national network of Centers that seeks increased impact on materials science and education beyond what is expected from any one Center. more.
CAREER: Variable-Temperature Electric Force and Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy of Organic Electronic Materials
Nugget :: John A. Marohn (Dept of Chemistry), Erik M. Muller (Dept of Physics) :: Jun 28, 2005
Research Objective: We are trying to gain a better microscopic understanding of organic electronic materials - carbon based molecules that behave like semiconductors. The reason to study these materials is that they might one day be used for cheap mass-produced electronics, sensors, and solar cells. Conduction of charge in these materials in not well understood. Approach: We image trapped charge directly in these materials using electric force microscopy. more.
Catherine Oertel uses science to preserve grand organs of Europe's cathedrals, victims of their own old wood
News :: Thomas Oberst, Cornell News Service :: Jun 21, 2005
The drizzly red-tile-roofed city of Santiago de Compostela near the northwest coast of Spain is home to a bewilderingly ornate 11th-century cathedral in which, many believe, lie the bones of St. James the Apostle. The belief that the bones carry powers of forgiveness and healing has made Santiago de Compostela the third most popular site of Christian pilgrimage in the world, surpassed only by Rome and Jerusalem. However, inside the cathedral itself lurks an ailment that even the bones of St. more.
After quantum dots, now come glowing "Cornell dots," for biological tagging, imaging and optical computing
News :: Bill Steele, Cornell News Service :: May 19, 2005
Move over, quantum dots. Make way for the new kids on the block - brightly glowing nanoparticles dubbed "Cornell dots. " By surrounding fluorescent dyes with a protective silica shell, Cornell University researchers have created fluorescent nanoparticles with possible applications in displays, biological imaging, optical computing, sensors and microarrays such as DNA chips. These are all applications for which quantum dots have been used or are being considered. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Wilkins Aquino
News :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 18, 2005
Wilkins Aquino joined the Cornell faculty in July 2003. He obtained his BS (1997) in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and his MS (1999) and PhD (2002) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. more.
Silicon Carbide-based mesoporous ceramics
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
Nanostructured polymer-inorganic hybrid materials offer enormous scientific and technological promise in areas ranging from microelectronics to the life sciences. Block copolymers are particularly interesting as structure directing agents since they allow precise control of the hybrid and, after thermal processing, of ceramic morphology. We have prepared the first ordered mesoporous high-temperature (non-oxide type) ceramic material. more.
A Micromechanical FM Radio
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
We have shown that very small mechanical resonators (like tiny tuning forks) can replace electrical oscillators in radio and cell phone applications, making these electronic systems even smaller. To illustrate the potential of our structures, an FM radio receiver was fabricated from one of our devices. more.
Science and the next Stradivarius?
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
The CCMR Small Business Outreach Program seeks to address materials issues vital to small manufacturers while building a relationship on which to leverage greater research opportunities. Allred & Associates of Auburn, New York recently received a small exploratory grant from CCMR to work with Prof. Alan Zehnder (T&AM) to characterize the company's new carbon fiber products using the CCMR shared experimental facilities. more.
New Versatile Polymers, from hard to soft to elastic
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
A series of new polymerization catalysts have been invented and found to be very effective in the synthesis of new block copolymers. These catalysts have the potential to make new forms of polypropylene, a commonly used polymer in many consumer and industrial products. The new polymers can be synthesized to have a wider set of properties than ordinary polypropylene, from hard to soft to elastic. more.
Plucking the World's Smallest String
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
Carbon nanotubes are hollow tubes made from single sheets of carbon atoms. In addition to being the stiffest material known, carbon nanotubes are extremely light and extremely small. Because of this, carbon nanotubes are potentially the ultimate building block for nanoscale mechanical devices, such as ultrasmall chemical detectors. Advances in this area have been stymied by a simple problem — the small size of nanotubes makes them difficult to work with. more.
Interactions Between Magnets and Buckyballs
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
As the size of electronic devices is reduced to the nanometer scale, effects arising from quantum-mechanical interactions between electrons can be examined in direct ways that were previously impossible. more.
Bright & Stable Core-Shell Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
A new class of highly fluorescent, stable nano-particles has been invented with potential applications in many technologies, including photonics and bio-imaging. Many millions of these with almost identical diameters can be produced in a simple process, enabling many applications that will be inexpensive. Nano Letters 5 (2005), 113-117. more.
High quality organic films for transistor applications
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
How many layers of organic molecules does it take to build a flexible transistor? Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy were used to understand the structure of very thin pentacene films and relate that to the transistor's characteristics. Surprisingly, only 5 to 6 molecular layers are needed to obtain the best performance. more.
Center and Community Join to Reach Underserved Youth
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Apr 1, 2005
CCMR reaches out to underserved youth through the community-based Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB). Located in Ithaca, NY, the Youth Bureau serves primarily African-American and low socioeconomic local children. In summer 2004, CCMR began offering hands-on science activities to students from the IYB summer camp. Professors Geoff Coates and Dotsevi Sogah (Chemistry Dept. ) launched the first series of programs. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Dan Luo
News :: CCMR Staff :: Feb 21, 2005
Dan Luo is an Associate Professor of Biological Engineering in the Biological and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He currently is also a faculty member in the Agriculture and Biological Engineering Graduate Field and Biomedical Engineering Graduate Field. He obtained his BS degree from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) with an undergraduate thesis on computer simulation and received his Ph. D. more.
Sweet and environmentally beneficial discovery: Plastics made from orange peel and a greenhouse gas
News :: Cornell News Service :: Jan 17, 2005
A Cornell University research group has made a sweet and environmentally beneficial discovery -- how to make plastics from citrus fruits, such as oranges, and carbon dioxide. In a paper published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (Sept. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Louis Derry
News :: CCMR Staff :: Nov 2, 2004
Louis Derry is an Assistant Professor in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department. He received his B. A. in Geology (1981) from Colorado College and his Ph. D. in geochemistry (1990) from Harvard University. Before graduate school at Harvard, Lou worked for the Homestake Mining Co. and the Chevron Oilfield Research Corporation. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Garnet K.-L. Chan
News :: CCMR Staff :: Oct 19, 2004
Garnet K. -L. Chan was appointed assistant professor in Chemistry and Chemical Biology in July 2004. His current research interests include the area of the electronic structure and dynamics of complex processes. His group engages in developing new and more powerful theoretical techniques which enable them to describe strong electronic correlation problems. more.
Surface Facility to Add New NSOM
News :: Kit Umbach :: Oct 4, 2004
The Surface Facility is expanding! Thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation's "Instrumentation for Materials Research" programand cost-sharing from CCMR and the College of Engineering, we are adding a Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscope (NSOM) with spectroscopic capability. The projects based on the NSOM involve probing the optical properties of materials and fabricated structures at dimensions that are not accessible with conventional optical microscopy. more.
Self-assembling designer molecules that mimic nature could lead to nano-device advances, Cornell researchers report
News :: Cornell News Service :: Sep 9, 2004
Some are cylindrical, some look like a double sandwich and some are continuous three-dimensional cubic structures. All are generated by a class of designer macromolecules that could lead to improvements in solar-cell and fuel-cell technology, as well as advances in ultra-miniaturization of electronic devices. more.
New CCMR Faculty Member - Amit Lal
News :: CCMR Staff :: Sep 7, 2004
Amit Lal is an associate professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prof. Lal's interests are in developing concepts, technology, and models for integrated microsystems using MEMS fabrication techniques, ultrasound and its linear and nonlinear effects, and radioactive thin films. He leads the SonicMEMS group, which is currently developing integrated surgical tools, ultrasonic microfluidic systems, and integrated power sources. more.
Improved switching performance of Si based integrated optical devices
Nugget :: Michal Lipson, Michael Spencer :: Apr 1, 2004
A unique device structure in SiC was designed and simulated. This simulation predicted switching speeds on the order of 10 picoseconds, for a 20x33um2 device operated at 12V. This device would represent a significant increase in switching performance of Si based integrated optical devices. In addition these devices, which are based on resonant techniques, can be realized with an extremely small footprint. Fig. 1 shows the design of our simulated structure. more.
Structured Colloids
Nugget :: Abraham Stroock, Fernando Escobedo :: Apr 1, 2004
A new microfluidic reactor for controlling chemistry and mechanical agitation in a colloidal dispersion has been developed at Cornell. An associated new Monte Carlo method for studying the thermodynamics of non-spherical particles predicts an unusual liquid crystalline phase with "cubatic" order such that the particles have fluid-like mobility but net orientation along three orthogonal axes. more.
A Little Wax Improves Nanoscale Tuning Forks
Nugget :: Source: "Controlling energy dissipation and stability of micromechanical silicon resonators with self-assembled monolayers," Joshua A. Henry, Yu Wang, and Melissa A. Hines, Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1765-7 (2004). :: Apr 1, 2004
What do cell phones, quartz watches, and FM radios all have in common? They all need a stable frequency source, or internal clock, to operate. As every musician knows, the simplest frequency source is a tuning fork . a piece of metal that vibrates at the same pitch (or frequency) every time it is struck. In principle, tuning forks could be used to simplify cell phones and other devices; however, these high frequency applications would require nanoscale tuning forks. more.
Ultra-Small Memory Devices for Silicon Electronics
Nugget :: Sandip Tiwari :: Apr 1, 2004
The devices on silicon chips that run computers continue to shrink, but we can foresee that the current designs will not work when they become much smaller. For example, small differences in the electrical charge stored in individual silicon based memory devices leads to such different device behavior that they cannot work together. more.
Bright nanoparticles that don't fade or blink
Nugget :: Uli Wiesner :: Apr 1, 2004
Nanometer-scale materials hold great promise for use in enabling new technological breakthroughs in the area of photonics. We have developed fluorescent silica nanoparticles with a novel design concept (CU dots) for use in photonic materials and devices. They consist of a core containing multiple organic fluorophores surrounded by a dense silica shell with sizes down to the 10 nm regime. more.
Designing atomic step patterns on Surfaces: Step pinning and wrap around . Effect of a pillar at the center of a pit
Nugget :: John (Jack) Blakely :: Apr 1, 2004
Pillars inside depressions pin the steps as they move across the surface due to evaporation-dominated step motion; the steps can wrap around the pillar and break away, resulting in an effective increase of the pillar height by one atomic layer. This allows the pillar, whose top atomic layers are disappearing, to persist over longer annealing times. more.
Liquid Nanoparticles
Nugget :: Dotsevi Sogah, Emmanuel Giannelis :: Apr 1, 2004
Nanoparticles of many materials have been prepared in the laboratory and all are very fine powders in pure form. We have discovered that nano-particles below a certain size can be transformed into pure liquids by attaching the right molecules to the surface of each particle. The addition of a second, normally liquid substance like water or alcohol is not needed. The nano-liquids will enable new applications of nano-particles to materials technologies. more.
CCMR Grad-student Kee Chul Chang Wins MRS Fall Meeting Poster Award
News :: CCMR Staff :: Jan 8, 2004
Poster sessions are an important and integral part of Materials Research Society meetings, allowing many more authors the opportunity to share their research and ideas with others. Because the quality of poster sessions is a major priority of the Society, 2003 Fall Meeting Chairs recognize the best presentations at the four evening poster sessions. more.
Team from Cornell, including two grad students, wins international prize for top invention of year
News :: Cornell News Service :: Oct 27, 2003
From Cornell News Service: ITHACA, N. Y. — Two Cornell University graduate students and a researcher have won a top prize in the 2003 Collegiate Inventors Competition for building an ultra-small electronic generator. Their award of $25,000 was presented at a ceremony at the New York Public Library, Manhattan, on Oct. 23. The three are applied physics student Keith Aubin, electrical and computer engineering student Robert Reichenbach and research associate Maxim Zalalutdinov. more.
Dimension 3100 Scanning Probe Microscope
Nugget :: CCMR Staff :: Sep 12, 2003
Shared surface characterization facility. This microscope provides a platform for conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) along with a number of additional imaging techniques, including electric force microscopy (EFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The microscope is located in a central facility, is accessible at all hours to trained users and can be reserved via a web-based scheduling program. more.
Nano-transistors Sensitive to Vibrations in a Single Molecule
Nugget :: Ralph, Sethna and McEuen, in collaboration with Soldatov (Harvard) :: Apr 1, 2003
Cornell researchers have pioneered techniques that have enabled transistors to be made from single molecules. Understanding such devices is an important challenge, because their behavior differs from conventional transistors in a number of ways. One significant difference is that molecules can vibrate and move. more.
New Silicon Nano-transistor Designs
Nugget :: Tiwari :: Apr 1, 2003
Current transistor technology is approaching limits that prevent smaller devices from being manufactured. A new approach to this problem has been pioneered at Cornell. The approach is based on manipulating the storage of charge in naturally-occurring states at the interface of a nanoscale silicon nitride layer incorporated into transistor devices. In present technologies, logic and memory are usually carried out with separate types of devices. more.
Nano-scale Imaging of Insulators Using Electric Currents?
Nugget :: Umbach and Blakely :: Apr 1, 2003
Usually, insulators do not allow electrical currents to flow. Yet Cornell engineers have pioneered a technology that allows the surfaces of insulators to do just that. Why would that be interesting? When an engineer needs to determine the degree of smoothness of a solid surface at atomic scales, the choice is between atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). more.
Growing Crystals One Atomic Layer at a Time
Nugget :: Dale, Fleet, Wang, Suzuki and Brock :: Apr 1, 2003
Based on the rapid evolution of electronic and optical devices to smaller dimensions, one can readily foresee the day when many materials will need to be made from stacks of atomically thin layers of different composition. Developing the tools to control and probe the growth process of such stacks on the atomistic scale in real time is a formidable challenge. more.
Shake Those Diamonds
Nugget :: Sekaric, Parpia, and Craighead, Feygelson, Houston and Butler :: Apr 1, 2003
Diamond is the hardest material known. In collaboration with the Naval Research Laboratory, CCMR scientists have shown that it also can be used to make a "xylophone-like" resonator attain frequencies approaching those used in cell phone communications. A unique web-like design will enable optical readout at high frequencies. Understanding the factors that limit the frequency and the purity of the vibrations in very small mechanical resonators is the focus of this group. more.
Ordered Molecular Layers in Sensors and Light Emitting Devices
Nugget :: Abruña, Houston, Malliaras, Blasini, Smilgies, Slinker, Flores and Lee :: Apr 1, 2003
Designer molecules that can be electrically stimulated to emit light can be synthesized to also be sensitive to TNT and related molecules. CCMR researchers have created globular molecules that pack efficiently on surfaces and thereby increase their light emission or sensitivity to TNT and related molecules. The researchers used X-ray reflectivity to monitor and optimize the packing process of individual molecules as they form very thin films on various surfaces. more.
Growth of Ultra-Thin Organic Films for Electrical Devices
Nugget :: Malliaras, Mayer and Kazimirov, in collaboration with Headrick (Vermont) :: Apr 1, 2003
Imagine electronic circuits on paper, plastic, or cloth! Organic semiconductors, like pentacene, can make this happen because they can be deposited on practically any surface. Researchers at CCMR are investigating the arrangement of pentacene molecules on various surfaces. By using X-ray radiation, it is possible to "see" how the first few layers of pentacene molecules arrange themselves on particular surfaces. more.
Porous Magnets: Magnetic Fe-containing Ordered Thin Films
Nugget :: Wiesner and Gruner :: Apr 1, 2003
Magnetic materials are well known for many technologically important applications. The new porous magnetic materials developed at CCMR may enable precision medical tests for early stage disease detection. For the first time, a new process for the creation of porous patterned iron oxide containing thin films has been developed. more.
Switchable Photonic Materials
Nugget :: Ober, Gruner and Thomas :: Apr 1, 2003
Optical materials are the basis of the telecommunications revolution. Photonic bandgap materials can be used in such applications to switch and direct optical signals. Oriented block copolymers are an important new class of optical material that possess a tunable photonic bandgap, are easy to process and can create conformal coatings. more.
Molecular Transistors
Nugget :: Héctor Abruña, Paul McEuen and Dan Ralph. :: Jan 1, 2002
Molecular devices might enable the manipulation of single electrons on the smallest possible device length scales. A cross disciplinary group at Cornell has demonstrated for the first time a transistor device that reaches the ultimate limit in which an electron hops on and off a single atom between two contacts. This has been achieved by nanofabricating gold (Au) electrodes separated by a very narrow gap. more.
Nanostructured Polymer- Ceramic Composites
Nugget :: Uli Wiesner and Sol Gruner :: Jan 1, 2002
For the first time, ceramic nano-dots, nano-wires, nano-sheets, nano-networks and nano-channels can all be synthesized by the same process. The process utilizes special polymers, called block co-polymers, which were known to solidify into a variety of organized nanoscale regions, whose dimensions can be controlled by changing the length of the polymer. more.
Making Waves, Nanostyle
Nugget :: Kit Umbach, Cary Allen, Matt Daniels and Jack Blakely. :: Jan 1, 2002
Bombarding SiO2 surfaces with high speed atoms or ions at glancing angles produces quasi-periodic nanoscale surface corrugations or ripples. This unusual effect can be explained by changes in the surface flow properties (viscosity) of the SiO2 under bombardment. more.
Unraveling nucleation and growth of copper films on TiN, TaN and SiO2
Nugget :: Paul Ma, Todd Schroeder and Jim Engstrom. :: Jan 1, 2002
Copper is quickly replacing aluminum in microelectronic devices. In these devices, it is important to encapsulate the Cu metal wires not only for electrical isolation purposes, but also to prevent the (detrimental) diffusion of Cu into other parts of the device. This is achieved by using thin impermeable layers that are referred to as "diffusion barriers. more.
Island density increases during sputter deposition
Nugget :: Josh Pomeroy, Oana Malis, Jim Sethna, and Joel Brock :: Jan 1, 2002
Major advances in communication technology have been made possible using techniques such as sputter deposition. This technique, for example, is used to fabricate the thin films in the read heads on a hard disk drive. In sputter deposition, the depositing atoms collide with the surface with high energies, resulting in smoother films, but how this occurs has remained a mystery. more.
Pumping Up Tiny Oscillations
Nugget :: Lidija Sekaric, Maxim Zalalutdinov, Jane Wang, Harold Craighead, Jeevak Parpia and Alan Zehnder :: Jan 1, 2002
The vibration of nanomechanical resonators (very small "tuning forks") is highly damped by the presence of air. We have shown that special methods can restore the vibrations by adding a little energy to the resonator during the part of the period where the resonator is at its maximum excursion from equilibrium. This is rather like lightly pushing a child's swing when it is at the top of its arc. more.
Carbon helps grow larger pentacene grains
Nugget :: Michele Swiggers, Chris Johnson and George Malliaras. :: Jan 1, 2002
Imagine electronic circuits on paper, plastic, or even cloth! Organic semiconductors, like pentacene, can make this happen because they can be deposited on any surface. Researchers at the Cornell Center for Materials Research recently found a new way to improve the quality of pentacene films. By just depositing a thin layer of carbon between pentacene and the substrate, a ten fold increase in the size of the pentacene grains was achieved. more.
OLED's Based on [Ru(bpy)3]+2 Pendant Dendrimers
Nugget :: H.D. Abruña, G. Malliaras, and P.L. Houston. :: May 1, 2001
We have developed organic light emitting diodes (OLED's) based on polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers generations 0-4 containing, respectively 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 [Ru(bpy)3]+2 pendant chromophores on the periphery. (A shows the structure of dend-8-[Ru(bpy)3]). Thin films (70-100 nm) of these materials were spin-coated onto indium/tin oxide (ITO) glass and Ca electrodes (with a thin Al top layer) were vacuum deposited on top of the dendrimer film. (B shows a schematic of the cell employed). more.
Atomically Flat Si Mesas by Supersonic Beam Deposition
Nugget :: Doohan Lee, Todd Schroeder, Jim Engstrom, Jack Blakely. :: May 1, 2001
Atomically flat surfaces and interfaces are desirable for many electronic devices and multilayer structures. In this work the technique of deposition from a supersonic beam of Si2H6 has been combined with nanopatterning methods to create arrays of mesas on Si (111) which are free from atomic steps. Si is deposited on a surface patterned as in figure(1) at a rate of about one atomic bilayer per second at ~850C. more.
Mobility-Dependent Charge Injection at the Metal/Organic Interface
Nugget :: Yulong Shen, Matthias Klein, Daniel Jacobs and George Malliaras (PI). :: May 1, 2001
How can we make Ohmic contact to an organic semiconductor? Despite the tremendous technological advances in organic semiconductor devices over the past decade, we are still not able to answer this question. more.
Polyolefin-Silicate Nanocomposites: In Situ Catalyst Intercalation and Polymerization
Nugget :: J.S. Bergman, H. Chen, E.P. Giannelis, M.G. Thomas, G.W. Coates (PI) :: May 1, 2001
Polymer nanocomposites are an intriguing class of new materials composed of layered silicates intercalated by polymer chains. These hybrid materials typically exhibit dramatically improved properties compared with either their pure polymer components or inorganic constituent. Performance enhancement, such as increased modulus and barrier to gas and solvents, as well as decreased thermal expansion, depends on the spatial orientation and interactions of the polymer and silicate. more.
Colossal Magnetoresistance Thin Films and Nanostructures
Nugget :: Yan Wu, Yana Matsushita (00), Lisa Berndt and Yuri Suzuki (PI) in collaboration with Andrew Kent at New York University. :: Aug 1, 2000
Doped perovskite manganites are of interest because they exhibit colossal magnetoresistance and, perhaps more importantly, they may be half-metallic, with complete spin polarization at the Fermi level. Therefore this class of materials has been identified for potential magnetoresistive memory devices. Doped manganites also provide a model system for studying the influence of micromagnetics on the transport properties of magnetoresistive devices. more.
Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulation of Polycrystalline Copper (100)
Nugget :: Liguo Wang (graduate student), Markus Rauscher, Paulette Clancy (PI). :: Aug 1, 2000
A Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation technique has been developed at Cornell in which a simple representation of grain boundaries can now be incorporated. Diffusion is not permitted across isotropically oriented grains and this allows us to observe a transition from columnar to dendritic (porous) growth as the angle of incidence of the beam shifts from normal to grazing angles. more.
High Spatial Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (SREELS)
Nugget :: Nan Jiang and John Silcox (PI), J. Applied Physics 87, 3768 (2000). :: Aug 1, 2000
A scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with a parallel electron energy-loss spectrometer (PEELS) has been improved to probe electronic states and associated chemistry on a near-atomic (~2 ) spatial scale. A detailed understanding of the excellent adhesion of Cr thin films to oxide glasses has been achieved by means of these studies. A thin Cr diffusion layer (~ 50 ) is now seen at the interface, originating with the inter-diffusion between Cr and alkaline earth ions (e. g. more.
Nanosurgery on MEMS
Nugget :: Led by Alan Zehnder, Harold Craighead, and Jeevak Parpia (PI). :: Aug 1, 2000
Micro- and nanoelectromechanical devices (MEMS and NEMS) with a high potential for use in radio frequency applications, sensors, etc, have been fabricated at Cornell by state-of-art electron-beam lithography tools. A combination of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and electron microscope (SEM) is used in a new technique for accurate control and analysis of the emerging nanomechanical structures. more.
New Mechanism For Controlling Magnetic Domains
Nugget :: E. B. Myers, D. C. Ralph, J. A. Katine, R. N. Louie, and R. A. Buhrman :: May 1, 2000
Magnetic devices for information storage currently operate by using externally- generated magnetic fields to control the orientation of the magnetic north and south poles. We have demonstrated a new mechanism for controlling magnetic domains, that instead relies on the quantum-mechanical interaction between the intrinsic spins of electrons and a magnetic material. more.
Engergetic Beam Enhanced Nucleation
Nugget :: Randy Headrick, Arthur Woll, Stefan Kycia, Joel Brock (Cornell), and Ramana M.V. Murty (ANL) :: May 1, 2000
Engergetic Beam Enhanced Nucleation Gallium Nitride and has become a very important material for a variety of applications, including blue and violet light-emitting diodes, lasers, and high-power transistors. The material is created in the form of a thin-film, one hundred times thinner than a sheet of paper, that is a nearly perfect single-crystal. more.
Ultra-Low Current Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Nugget :: Jack Blakely and Kit Umbach, CCMR IRG2 Thin Films on Glass :: May 1, 2000
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) imaging with sub-picoamp currents allows structural and electronic characterization of materials normally considered insulating, such as oxides and glasses. The image of the native oxide of silicon shows that structural features of the crystalline substrate are observable on the rough oxide surface. The IV curve indicates a surface bandgap characteristic of silicon dioxide. more.
Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors
Nugget :: Led by Prof. George Malliaras (Seed), Materials Science & Engineering, Cornell and Prof. Twieg at Kent State University. :: May 1, 2000
Organic semiconductors are attracting a great deal of attention because of their ease in processing, which is superior to that of inorganic semiconductors. However, the penalty in terms of performance remains very high. Carrier mobilities in organic materials are several orders of magnitude lower than those in Si, imposing a severe limit on the performance of organic devices. Researchers at Cornell are developing a novel family of semiconductors, with exceptionally high transport properties. more.
Tunable Micromechanical Oscillator
Nugget :: M. Zalalutdinov (Postdoctoral Associate), B. Ilic and D. Czaplewski (Graduate Students), H. G. Craighead, J. Parpia, and A. Zehnder (PIs). :: Jan 1, 2000
The movement of tiny mechanical devices is important in a number of devices such as atomic force microscopes, magnetometers, frequency filters, optical switches for telecommunications, and biological sensors. Applications have been limited, however, by the fact that the oscillators could only oscillate at fixed resonant frequencies. This has changed now because of work done at Cornell, where a cantilever, tunable from 9. 6 kHz all the way up to 37 kHz, has been demonstrated. more.
Semiconductor Technology: Smoothing the Way
Nugget :: Y-C Huang, J. Flidr, T.A. Newton and M.A. Hines :: May 1, 1999
Researchers at Cornell University have used simple chemistry to produce atomically smooth silicon surfaces. To the naked eye, the silicon wafers used by the semiconductor industry have perfect, mirror finishes. But on an atomic scale, however, these mirror surfaces are actually rough and pitted. When microprocessors are manufactured from these wafers, this atomic scale roughness is then transferred to individual transistors, where it seriously degrades performance. more.
Metal Cluster Centered Star Polymers
Nugget :: Marc Weimer, Dhandapani Venkataraman, Frank DiSalvo and Dotse Sogah. :: May 1, 1999
A variety of organic molecules (ligands) can be attached to metal clusters such as W6Cl8+4 or Mo6S8. These clusters can then be dissolved in a variety of solvents. We have designed a special ligand that imparts solubility as well as containing an initiator for the polymerization of styrene. Since there are six metal centers per cluster, up to six polymer arms can be grown by attaching up to six of these ligands. The resulting polymer is a "star" polymer. more.
Local Dynamics of Polymers
Nugget :: D. B. Zax, D.-K. Yang, R. A. Santos, H. Hegemann, E. P. Giannelis, and E. Manias :: May 1, 1999
Fluids in confined between walls only nanometers apart exhibit remarkable dynamical heterogeneities on length scales as short as a few AA, though few experimental probes are available which test the origins of these heterogeneities on a microscopic scale. Our recent experiments combine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to study the trilayer system formed when poly(styrene) (PS) is intercalated into a surface-modified fluorohectorite. more.
Exceptionally Ordered Hexagonal Arrays of Redox-Active Dendrimers via Metal-Initiated Self-Assembly
Nugget :: D. J. Díaz, G. D. Storrier, K. Takada, H. D. Abruña :: May 1, 1999
There is a great deal of interest in the preparation of surface structures of deliberate architecture with particular emphasis on systems capable of self-assembly. The binding of transition metals to specifically designed ligands provides an excellent platform for the preparation of such structures since both the strength and kinetics of binding can be exquisitely controlled. We have prepared terpyridine containing dendrimers (Fig. more.
Anisotropic Stress Effects in Sub-Micrometer Metal Films
Nugget :: :: May 1, 1999
Copper is replacing aluminum as the material of choice for the microscopic "metallization" wires that connect the various parts of integrated circuits together due to its lower resistivity. Unlike aluminum, however, copper is very anisotropic the elastic stiffness varies by more than a factor of two with grain orientation. Combined with the nanometer scale of these objects, this can lead to very unusual behavior which does not occur in bulk copper. more.
Snowflakes, Dendrites, and Welding
Nugget :: Professor Eberhard Bodenschatz, Department of Physics, Cornell University. :: Nov 1, 1998
Though the intricate structure of a snowflake is familiar to many, less well known is the occurrence of similar dendritic structures during the solidification process of many alloy systems. When metals are welded together it is frequently the case that the dendritic form of the solidification can determine the welds resulting mechanical properties. more.
Hard Drives and Spin Filters
Nugget :: V. Ambegaokar, P. Brouwer, R. Buhrman, H. Craighead, C. Henley, J. Parpia, D. Ralph, R. Richardson, Y. :: Nov 1, 1998
Shashi Upadyhay and Robert Buhrman in IRG4 of the Cornell Center for Materials Research have developed a new technique which, for the first time, allows measurements of the electron-spin-filtering properties of a single layer of magnetic metal. In these experiments the single layer is as thin as one atomic layer. more.
Bonding of metals to glass!
Nugget :: N. Ashcroft, D. Ast, S. Baker, J. Blakely, R. Dieckmann, J. Engstrom, H. Hui, C.-Y. Li, J. Silcox, K. Umbach. :: Nov 1, 1998
The adhesion of metal films to glass is technologically important, but not well understood at a fundamental level. To clarify it, Ashcroft and Neaton (in the Thin Films on Glass IRG of the Cornell Center for Materials Research) have calculated, ab initio, the adhesion of chromium to SiO(2) and found extensive rearrangement of the bonding at the interface. more.
Thin Film Transistors but on Glass Ceramics!
Nugget :: N. Ashcroft, D. Ast, S. Baker, J. Blakely, R. Dieckmann, J. Engstrom, H. Hui, C.-Y. Li, J. Silcox, K. Umbach. :: Nov 1, 1998
The low softening point of glass generally prevents use of the common semiconductor processing steps of diffusion and oxidation (which operate at high temperatures) to make transistors on glass substrates covered with a thin Si film. Researchers at the Cornell Center for Materials Research working with Corning Inc. more.
Patterns on Surfaces: Erosion, but with Order
Nugget :: M.V. Ramana Murty, T. Curcic, A. Judy, B.H. Cooper, A.R. Woll, J.D. Brock, S. Kycia, and R.L. Headrick :: Jul 1, 1998
Erosion of surfaces with energetic ions is an important step in many crystal growth and semiconductor processing techniques. Novel approaches are providing unprecedented control of surface structure at the atomic scale. Scientists at Cornell University have used synchrotron X-ray scattering to observe atomic layers disappearing in real time during the erosion of a single crystal metal surface with energetic ions. more.
