MRI: Acquisition of a Molecular Beam Epitaxy Apparatus with In-Situ Scanning Probe Capabilities for the Synthesis and Study of Advanced Energy Materials

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

Technical summary: Transition metal-oxides are highly promising materials in modern technology because they are stable at high temperatures and in corrosive environments, and because their physical and chemical properties are highly tunable. The design of metal oxides for technological applications such as electronics, photovoltaics, and catalysis necessitates a thorough understanding of the physical complexity that lies beneath the broad functionality of these materials. This project involves the acquisition of a molecular beam epitaxy apparatus with an in-situ low-temperature scanning probe microscope for the synthesis and atomic-scale characterization of novel artificially-structured oxide materials. Molecular beam epitaxy offers unique capabilities of creating atomic arrangements with atomically precise control of thickness and composition, which will be utilized to systematically tune the properties of oxide thin films and interfaces with special emphasis on clean energy applications. This special instrument for epitaxial synthesis and characterization will be an important nucleus of the educational and training activities at the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, which is a newly-established umbrella organization at The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, fostering interdisciplinary research, education, and partnership for the development of advanced materials in East Tennessee. Layman summary: Metal oxides are highly promising materials for electronic and clean energy applications, including photocatalysis, where light-activated catalysts are used, for example, to split water into pure oxygen and hydrogen; and photovoltaics, which convert solar radiation into direct electric current. Nearly all such applications involve processes that take place at the surfaces or interfaces of these oxide materials. Fundamental understanding and better control of these processes would greatly benefit from the capability of producing well-defined surfaces, interfaces, and thin film materials, as well as from the capability to systematically alter and characterize the structural and electronic properties of these materials with precision down to the atomic level. The project involves the acquisition of a molecular beam epitaxy apparatus for the synthesis of artificially-structured metal-oxide materials, with special emphasis on clean energy applications, along with a scanning probe microscope for imaging individual atoms and mapping the nanoscale properties of these materials. Molecular beam epitaxy offers researchers the extraordinary capability of constructing novel materials from atomic "Lego principles," guided by theoretical calculations or predictions. This special instrument for epitaxial synthesis and characterization will be an important nucleus of the educational and training activities at the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, which is a newly-established umbrella organization at The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, fostering interdisciplinary research, education, and partnership for the development of advanced materials in East Tennessee.