CAREER: The Coordinated Theory and Experiments of the Fundamental Metal Oxidation Kinetics As Visualized By In Situ UHV_TEM

本项目旨在应用超高真空条件下的原位透射电子显微镜，对纳米级氧化过程有一个基本的了解。这项研究的主要目的是为了更好地理解从金属氧化物成核到形成热力学稳定的氧化物的纳米级氧化阶段。对铜、铝薄膜进行系统的实验研究。该项目涉及与伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）材料研究实验室、劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室（LLNL）和新加坡材料研究与工程研究所（IMRE）的合作，该研究所拥有专门用于在UHV-TEM内沉积Al薄膜的原位室。这项研究具有技术相关性，表面氧化过程在环境稳定性、高温腐蚀、电化学、催化反应、栅极氧化物和薄膜生长以及燃料反应中起着关键作用。教育部分包括在项目中开发的研究工具，用于开发材料科学与工程（MS&amp；E）本科和研究生阶段的新课程，以及一个可供公众访问的新网站。该研究对薄金属纳米级氧化的基本过程有了新的认识，这将与以腐蚀为限制因素的技术直接相关。

This project aims in applying in-situ transmission electron microscopy under ultra high vacuum conditions to develop a fundamental understanding of the oxidation processes at the nanoscale. Major objectives of the proposed study is to develop better understanding of the nanoscale stages of oxidation from the nucleation of the metal oxide to the formation of thermodynamically stable oxide. Systematic experimental studies will be made on thin films of copper and aluminum. The project involves collaborations with the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Institute for Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Singapore where a specialized in situ chamber for Al thin film deposition inside the UHV-TEM exist. This research has technological relevance where surface oxidation processes play critical roles in environmental stability, high temperature corrosion, electrochemistry, catalytic reactions, gate oxides and thin film growth as well as fuel reactions. The educational component incorporates the research tools developed in the project in the development of new courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in materials science and engineering (MS&E) curriculum as well as a new web site accessible for public.The research develops a new understanding of the fundamental processes involved in nanoscale oxidation on thin metals that would have direct relevance in technologies where corrosion is the limiting factor.