Epitaxial Ceramic Nanocomposites by Design

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The capabilities of electronic devices can be improved by incorporating new ceramic materials into the traditional manufacturing process. Magnetic and ferroelectric materials are particularly appealing because they enable data to be stored and manipulated, and unlike conventional semiconductor devices, the information is preserved even without power. This research is developing new composite oxide materials with precisely tailored structures on the nanoscale and attractive magnetic, optical and electronic properties that could be used in applications such as new types of microelectronic memory or logic devices, or filtration membranes with designed porosity. Graduate students are being trained in interdisciplinary science and engineering fields including materials design, measurement, and modeling, which prepares them for employment in the high-tech sector. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The route to enhanced functionality in electronic and magnetic devices occurs through the use of new materials and structures, and oxide materials in particular exhibit a wide range of highly tunable magnetic, optical and electronic properties. In this research, oxide nanostructures are being created by self-assembly, consisting of two different materials with precisely engineered nanoscale geometries. The properties of the nanocomposites differ qualitatively from those of the individual bulk materials due to coupling of the two phases at the interfaces and can be tuned via the composition, crystal structure, size, shape and interface geometry of the two phases. Through appropriate materials selection and design, these nanocomposites can display exciting properties including high conduction at interfaces, enhanced ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric coupling that are either absent or difficult to modulate in single-phase materials. The overall goal of the research is to develop strategies to synthesize ceramic nanocomposites by design, in which the morphology and 3D arrangement of the two phases can be controlled, their properties are explored, and device applications and manufacturing strategies (including growth methods compatible with semiconductor fabrication) are developed. These materials may be used in applications such as new types of microelectronic memory or logic devices, or filtration membranes with designed porosity. The research is training students in interdisciplinary STEM fields that span thin film processing, materials characterization, and modeling of structure, strain and electronic properties. Within this project, online educational materials are being developed and public outreach is being conducted through an activity called the NanoObservatory, in which lithography and microscopy are demonstrated. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.