We will investigate the electrothermomechanical response of individual metallic nanowires as a function of microstructural interfaces from the growth processes. This will be accomplished using in situ SEM 4-point probe-based electrical resistivity measurements and 2-point probe-based impedance measurements, as a function of mechanical strain and temperature.
Push towards miniaturization, especially in the electronics sector, has resulted in metallic and semiconductor nanowires being actively incorporated as functional materials. This warrants a critical assessment of the electrical reliability of such nanowires under application relevant combinations of temperature and mechanical loading. In this project, we will investigate the electrothermomechanical response of individual metallic nanowires as a function of microstructural interfaces from the growth processes. This will be conducted using in situ SEM 4-point probe-based electrical resistivity measurements and 2-point probe-based impedance measurements, as a function of mechanical strain and temperature.
Top: Electrothermomechanical testing setup with four nanomanipulator probes Bottom: Example of a nanowire, manipulated and attached appropriately for a 4-point electrical resistivity measurement as a function of strain
Within this project we investigate chemical fluctuations at the nanometre scale in polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and CuInS2 thin-flims used as absorber material in solar cells.
Recently developed dual-phase high entropy alloys (HEAs) exhibit both an increase in strength and ductility upon grain refinement, overcoming the strength-ductility trade-off in conventional alloys [1]. Metastability engineering through compositional tuning in non-equimolar Fe-Mn-Co-Cr HEAs enabled the design of a dual-phase alloy composed of…
By using the DAMASK simulation package we developed a new approach to predict the evolution of anisotropic yield functions by coupling large scale forming simulations directly with crystal plasticity-spectral based virtual experiments, realizing a multi-scale model for metal forming.
It is very challenging to simulate within DFT extreme electric fields (a few 1010 V/m) at a surface, e.g. for studying field evaporation, the key mechanism in atom probe tomography (APT). We have developed a straight-forward scheme to incorporate an ideal plate counter-electrode in a nominally charged repeated-slab calculation by means of a generalized dipole correction of the standard electrostatic potential obtained from fully periodic FFT.
In this project, we aim to realize an optimal balance among the strength, ductility and soft magnetic properties in soft-magnetic high-entropy alloys. To this end, we introduce a high-volume fraction of coherent and ordered nanoprecipitates into the high-entropy alloy matrix. The good combination of strength and ductility derives from massive solid…
Photovoltaic materials have seen rapid development in the past decades, propelling the global transition towards a sustainable and CO2-free economy. Storing the day-time energy for night-time usage has become a major challenge to integrate sizeable solar farms into the electrical grid. Developing technologies to convert solar energy directly into…
ZnO is a wide band gap semiconductor which is of interest to such diverse areas of application as passivation layers on steel surfaces, catalysis, corrosion, adhesion, gas sensing, and micro- or optoelectronics. Understanding the surface structure and stoichiometry is of high practical interest and essential for any of the mentioned applications…