This award is for the support of a collaborative research project between Dr. Ilhan Aksay, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Princeton University, and Dr. Macit Ozenbas, Professor of Metallurgical Engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. These scientists plan to study the processing and characterization of ferroelectric thin films for integration into Microelectronic Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The two scientists have shown that a novel micromolding method pioneered by Whitesides and his colleagues is a quick and inexpensive approach to fabricate ferroelectric thin films with micron scale patterns. The proposed project would enable them to develop this method for the manufacture of MEMS devices using ferroelectric films. Such devices have many potential applications in biomedicine, industrial processing, automotive systems, avionics, and environmental monitoring. The project seeks to accomplish two goals: to develop synthesis and processing methodologies for the fabrication of ferroelectric/piezoelectric thin films with mesoscale integration through micromolding methods, and to characterize the structure-property relations of these films. Scope: This project will support collaboration between two scientists with complementary qualifications and institutional facilities. The Turkish team is well versed in the fundamentals of materials science but is otherwise hindered in their work by the lack of some needed facilities. The US team will provide access to the state-of-the-art facilities needed for this collaborative work. This collaboration will involve a sciencetist at Princeton with a scientist at one of the top technical universities in Turkey. The project fits well within the objectives of the Division of International Programs.
