This award supports Dr. Mark R. De Guire, one postdoc, and a graduate student from Case Western Reserve in a collaboration with Fritz Aldinger of the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart. The collaboration between the two groups will investigate the synthesis of uniform crystalline ceramic thin films using aqueous solution precursors and organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMS). The research tools include study of nucleation and growth of the ceramic films using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS); force measurements using atomic force microscopy (AFM); modeling of interactions using Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek theory; and identification of key species responsible for film formation and prediction of optimum deposition conditions using thermodynamic modeling of the source solutions. The two groups bring unique and complementary capabilities to the work. The U.S. group was among the first to study and develop the deposition of ceramic thin films on SAMS. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have extensive experience in the study of crystallization using SAXS and AFM. The work will advance the fundamental understanding of mechanisms whereby films are formed, which will enable greater control of the films' microstructures, higher growth rates, and easier deposition of multi-component films.
