MECHENG1: Nanomaterials: Synthesis of low-dimensional semiconductors for nanoelectronics and energy conversion applications

Mentor: Dr. Michael Pettes, Assistant Professor, and members of the UConn Nanothermal Transport Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering

For next generation nanoelectronic devices, dimensionality plays an important role in transport characteristics, and materials which are thermodynamically stable in the two-dimensional limit are currently seen as the best candidates for advanced wafer-scale technologies. As a route to realize the promise of these nanomaterials, elastic strain engineering has been offered as a way to modulate the electronic bandgap. Investigation of this hypothesis requires synthesis of high-quality crystallites of low-dimensional materials and transfer of those materials to micro-fabricated test structures where their structure-property relationships can be observed. Students involved in this project will assist undergraduate and graduate researchers in materials synthesis, characterization, and sample transfer. Students from populations underrepresented in science and engineering fields with interest in pursuit of an advanced degree are especially encouraged to apply. Formal laboratory and chemical safety training is required before students are allowed into the UConn Institute of Materials Science, where the work will be conducted.