International Postdoctoral Fellows Program: The Study of Metal-Ceramic Interfaces by Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

该奖项隶属于国际博士后研究员计划，该计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外公认的卓越研究中心进行三到十二个月的研究。该计划的奖励为联合研究提供了机会，并利用独特或互补的设施、专业知识和国外的实验条件。该奖项将支持Judith C. Yang博士与Manfred Ruhle博士在德国斯图加特的马克斯普朗克金属研究所进行为期12个月的博士后研究访问。杨博士建议用电子显微镜技术对Pt-NiO和Ni-NiO这两种相似的模型金属-陶瓷体系的原子结构、化学和电子结构进行基础研究。对于NiO-Pt体系，根据相图和前人的研究，在合适的温度、时间和氧活度条件下，通过热处理可以在界面处形成金属间层NiPt。利用电子能量损失谱法研究金属间化合物形成的化学性质和电子结构。为了更基本地研究由于界面的存在而导致的电子结构的细微变化，一个更简单的系统，Ni-NiO，将用近边光谱法研究能量损失。该奖项建议提供资金用于支付国际旅行和12个月的津贴。

This award is under the International Postdoctoral Fellows Program, which enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twelve months of research abroad at research centers of proven excellence. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a twelve-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. Judith C. Yang to work with Dr. Manfred Ruhle at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany. Dr. Yang proposes to do two experiments for the fundamental study of the atomic structure, chemistry and electronic structure of two similar model metal-ceramic systems, Pt-NiO and Ni-NiO, by electron microscopy techniques. For the NiO-Pt system, an intermetallic interlayer, NiPt, is expected to form at the interface by heat treatment at suitable temperature, time and oxygen activity as suggested by phase diagrams and previous work. The chemistry and the electronic structure due to formation of the intermetallic compound will be studied using electron energy loss spectroscopy. For a more fundamental study of fine changes in the electronic structure due to the presence of an interface, a simpler system, Ni-NiO, will be studied with energy loss near edge spectroscopy. The award recommendation provides funds to cover international travel and a stipend for twelve months.