CAREER: Nanocomposite Electrodeposition of Thin Films and High Aspect Ratio Deposits

本研究的目的是将基础研究与教育相结合，以探索、了解和控制电沉积纳米复合材料的发展。所获得的知识将用于创造一类新的复合材料，并为电沉积金属提供新的加工方法。惰性的超细颗粒悬浮在电镀溶液中，并嵌入正在生长的金属中。研究方面分为三个部分：1)纳米复合薄膜的实验参数探索；2)数学建模；3)高纵横比纳米复合镀层的实验研究。纳米复合材料将提供更好的强度和耐磨性。与金属共沉积的纳米级颗粒也可能对金属沉积结构和局部金属沉积速率的控制感兴趣。这项研究工作将与教育部分合并。路易斯安那州立大学（LSU）新开设了一门名为“电化学工程”的课程，该课程将采用纳米复合材料“班级系统”，学生将利用在课堂上学到的技术作为一个小组进行考察。教学方法将利用计算机生成的部分笔记，这些笔记将与学生互动完成。此外，研究生和本科生将分别通过研究生研究和学期项目参与研究工作。学生将有独特的机会利用大学在先进微结构和器件中心（CAMD）运行的同步加速器来制造微结构纳米复合材料并对其进行检查。此外，各个层次的学生都可以参加路易斯安那州立大学每月举行的非正式微系统系列研讨会，该研讨会涵盖了几个跨学科部门。

The aim of this study is to integrate fundamental research with education in order to explore, understand and control the development of electrodeposited nanocomposite materials. The knowledge gained will be used to create a new class of composite materials and provide novel processing methods for electrodeposited metals. Inert, ultrafine particles are suspended in an electroplating solution and are embedded into the growing metal. The research aspect is divided into three parts: 1) experimental parameter exploration of thin nanocomposite films, 2) mathematical modeling and 3) experimental investigation of high aspect ratio nanocomposite deposits. Nanocomposite materials that are highlighted will offer improved strength and wear resistant properties. Nanometric size particles codeposited with metals may also be of interest for the control of the metal deposit structure and the local, metal deposition rate. The research effort will be merged with an educational component. A newly created course at Louisiana State University (LSU), Electrochemical Engineering, will adopt a nanocomposite "class-system" that will be examined as a group using the techniques learned during lectures. Teaching methods will take advantage of computer generated partial notes that are to be completed with the student interactively. In addition, graduate and undergraduate students will participate in a research effort through graduate research and semester projects, respectively. Students will have the unique opportunity to take advantage of a university run synchrotron at the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) to fabricate microstructured nanocomposites and to examine them. In addition, students at all levels can participate in a monthly informal seminar series for microsystems at LSU, which encompasses several interdisciplinary departments.