CAREER: Combinatorial Investigation of Functional Metal-Oxide Thin Films

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This CAREER project addresses a comprehensive research and education study of functional thin-film metal-oxides based on combinatorial methods. The combinatorial approach will be used to survey large compositional variations in individual experiments. New materials phases will be explored through fabrication of thin-film combinatorial libraries and composition-spread samples. The method for fabricating samples is a newly designed combinatorial pulsed laser deposition system. Scanning probe microscopies will be used to perform rapid characterization of the samples. In particular, a scanning evanescent microwave microscope, a ferromagnetic reso-nance microscope and a scanning SQUID microscope will serve as the main screening tools. Sample quality will be addressed by using various microanalysis tools, which allow spatially re-solved composition and phase mapping. The immediate focus will be on microwave materials for wireless communications applications and various magnetic materials including ferrites and half-metallic systems. In addition to searching for new compositions with enhanced physical proper-ties, composition-spread experiments will be conducted to systematically study composition-property relationships in materials that had previously only been made in bulk samples. Experi-mental tasks required in the proposed program span fundamental materials synthesis to develop-ing novel characterization techniques, and this multidisciplinary research environment will serve as a model educational background to train a new generation of students.In collaboration with other faculty a lab-based Combinatorial Materials Research and Education Course using mostly preexisting equipment targeting senior-level undergraduates will be devel-oped. Many of the course activities will mirror the actual research techniques developed in the research activities, thus directly linking research with education. The ability of combinatorial ex-periments to rapidly cover a range materials with large compositional variation in a single ex-periment will be used to provide hands-on experience that conveys the breadth of materials sci-ence to students. The emphasis on "search and discovery" in combinatorial research makes this method particularly exciting and effective as an educational tool.%%% The project addresses fundamental research issues in a topical area of materials science having high technological relevance. The scope of the project will expose students to challenges in materials synthesis, processing, and characterization. An important feature of the project is the strong emphasis on education, and the integration of research and education. ***