Center for Materials, Devices and Integrated Systems
February Newsletter
Your assistant to keep you updated. Snippets on upcoming events, webinars, fellowship opportunities, news about facilities, publications, past event notes.
Brief.
Happy belated Valentine’s Day! and last 2 weeks until Spring Break..
Additional capabilities to be integrated into our facilities soon! We are in process of acquiring Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Electron Beam Lithography (EUV), Deep Reactive Ion Etch (DRIE) and Plasma Vapor Deposition (PVD) Thin Film Deposition System to our facilities through DoD Microelectronics Commons, NORDTECH (Northeast Regional Defense Technology) Coalition. If you plan to incorporate these instruments to your research, please contact Kent Way (wayk2@rpi.edu) or Katharine Dovidenko (dovidk2@rpi.edu).
Dr. Pascal Bassene has joined CMDIS as a part time lab manager at the Polymer Processing and Characterization Core (PPCC). He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Physics in Moussa N'Gom's research group. He also served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Physics at Rensselaer. Pascal holds a Ph.D. in Nanomaterials with a specialization in Optics and Photonics from FST/UCAD and completed his Master's degree in Physics & Applications and Materials and Nano-Objects Science (SMNO) from Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC-Paris), France. In this role as lab manager, he will be in the lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and supervised by Katharine Dovidenko, Director of Nanoscale Characterization Core (NCC). Welcome Pascal!
Our team is growing! We are in process of hiring Semiconductor Process Equipment Engineer and Administrative Coordinator. These are the first of several positions we will have this year. After the first round of interviews, we are calling the candidates for on-site visits, please contact Deniz Rende (rended3@rpi.edu) if you’d like to be involved in the interview schedule.
BYOND (Build Your Own NanoDevice) has launched into its fourth semester with a dynamic cohort of six brilliant undergraduates! This competitive program is designed to introduce microfabrication and analysis concepts to interested undergraduate students. Learn more.
We participated in the Black Families Technology Awareness Day 2024 on Feb. 4th. The event is designed to introduce historically underrepresented students in grades K-12, their families, and educators to educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Kent Way and Chao Yang have met with students and families to talk about chips, materials, nanotechnology and our facilities. Learn more.
A warm welcome to our new faculty member, Prof. Bin Gao, Kodak Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Prior to his appointment, he was a professor at University of Florida, a research associate at Cornell University, and a postdoctoral research associate at Yale University. Prof. Gao’s research mainly focuses on biochar, environmental nanotechnology, and contaminant fate and transport.
You may consider our facility tours for external visitors or faculty candidates. During the walking tour, the visitors will learn about CMDIS and our research enterprise, meet with technical expertise, and discuss fabrication, analytical, and characterization capabilities. Don’t have time? Then you may consider a guided virtual tour in Micro and Nanofabrication Cleanroom. Learn more.
What’s ahead?
Special Quantum Seminar | Dr. Neil M. Zimmerman, NIST
(16.February, 2:15pm-3:15pm, CBIS Bruggeman) – TODAY!!
Dr. Neil M. Zimmerman works as an experimental physicist at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Nanoscale Processes and Measurements Group. Much of his past work has focused on research in silicon single electron devices to build a standard of the electrical current based on the elementary charge, and for use as qubits in the solid state. He is currently working on helping develop the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect as a resistance standard.
CMDIS Special Seminar | Dr. Satyavolu Papa Rao, VPR for NY CREATES, (21.February, 12:30pm-2:00pm, CBIS Bruggeman)
Next week, we will welcome Dr. Satyavolu ‘Pops’ Papa Rao, Vice President for Research for NY CREATES for a special CMDIS seminar. Dr. Rao’s research focus on quantum technologies includes the fabrication of high-performance superconducting qubits using 300mm scale advanced processes, single-flux-quantum logic circuits, superconducting optoelectronics for neuromorphic computing, and AlN-based electrooptic integratedcircuits. RSVP:rended3@rpi.edu
RPI @ Albany Nano Spring Seminar Series
(28.February, Wednesday, 12:00pm-2:00pm, Albany Nanotech Complex)
Please join RPI @ Albany Nano's Spring Seminar Series at the Albany Nanotech Complex by our invited speakers Liu Liu (RPI) and Nathaniel Cady (UAlbany), who will share their latest research on scalable AI computing and new memory materials and devices. A light lunch will be served before the seminar, a shuttle service is arranged from RPI to ANT (limited capacity). Registration is required for all attendees; non-US citizens must register before 02/16, US-citizens and permanent residents must register by 02/23. Learn more.
Society for Optics and Photonics, Advanced Lithography + Patterning Conference (25-29.February, San Jose, CA)
Optical and EUV lithography, patterning technologies, metrology, and process integration for semiconductor manufacturing and adjacent applications. Safe travels! Learn more.
38th Annual AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence
(20-27.February, Vancouver, CA)
The purpose of the AAAI conference series is to promote research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and foster scientific exchange between researchers, practitioners, scientists, students, and engineers across the entirety of AI and its affiliated disciplines. Safe travels! Learn more.
Approaching deadlines
(Undergraduate) Society of Physics Students Scholarships
(Application Deadline: 15.March)
There are many scholarships available. These awards are made to undergraduate physics students on the basis of scholarship, SPS participation, and additional criteria as outlined in the descriptions. The application package requires two recommendation letters and transcript, it is advised to start preparations early. Learn more.
(Undergrad) The Desk and Derrick Educational Trust Scholarships
(Application Deadline: 01.April)
These awards are made to undergraduate students who plan a career in the petroleum, energy or allied industry, or research and development of alternative fuels such as coal, electric, solar, wind hydroelectric, nuclear, and ethanol. Requirements: Completion of at least two years or are currently enrolled in the second year of undergraduate study at an accredited college or university, a grade point average of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 grading system, citizen of the United States or Canada. Learn more.
(Undergrad / Grad) The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Engineering Scholarships
(Application Deadline: 15.February (Undergrad), 29.February (Grad))
A scholarship is considered by ASME to be a grant made to a student to enable or assist the student in pursuing an educational program in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering technology at the undergraduate or graduate level. The online Scholarship Application is now open for the 2024 - 2025 academic year for 4-Year Baccalaureate students, Graduate students, Community College/2-Year Technical Programs, and Associate degree students and graduating High School seniors pursuing ME/MET degrees and closely related disciplines. Learn more.
(Undergrad / Grad) Advancing Women in Science (AWIS) Scholarships
(Application Deadline: 29.February)
Awards and scholarships provide visibility and recognition of the contributions of brilliant scientists. They also offer role models and encouragement to the next generation. These annual prizes support the professional development and advancement of AWIS members. The scholarships are available to undergraduate students, graduate students and for career re-entry. Learn more.
(Undergraduate/Graduate) Association for Computing Machinery (ACM-W) Computer Science Research Conference Scholarships
(Application Deadline:15th of each month for upcoming conferences)
ACM-W provides support for women undergraduate and graduate students in computer science and related programs to attend computer science research conferences. Learn more.
(Graduate) 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting Abstract Submissions are open.
(Abstract Submission Deadline: 08.April)
The AIChE Annual Meeting will be held in San Diego, CA (27-31 October). It is the premier educational forum for chemical engineers interested in innovation and professional growth. Academic and industry experts will cover wide range of topics relevant to cutting-edge research, new technologies, and emerging growth areas in chemical engineering. Learn more.
(Graduate / Post-doc) Microscopy & Microanalysis Conference 2023 Submissions
(Submission Deadline: 16.February) – TODAY!
The annual Microscopy and Microanalysis conference will be held on July 28-August 01 in Cleveland, OH. The field of microscopy and microanalysis has come a long way since its inception, constantly pushing the boundaries of what we can see and understand at the smallest scales. The Microscopy and Microanalysis (M&M) community gathers to celebrate and showcase the latest advancements in this fascinating realm of scientific exploration. Learn more.
(Graduate/Post-doc) Microscopy Today Micrograph Competition Submissions
(Deadline: 15.March)
The goal of this international competition is to identify and showcase scientific micrographs and movie clips. While there must be scientific content in the images, winning entries will also exhibit exceptional composition and other esthetic qualities. The competition, open to all types of microscopy, is divided into three categories: (i) published micrograph category (ii) open micrograph category (iii) video micrograph category. A panel of judges will identify a number of finalists in each category and also select the first ($500), second ($300), and third ($100) prizes in each category. Learn more.
(Post-Doc) NASA Postdoctoral Program
(Application Deadline: 01.March)
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented U.S. and non-U.S. scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. NASA has removed the temporary restrictions for non U.S. citizen applicants, annual application cycle is 01.March. Learn more.
(Post-Doc) Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) Program, RIKEN (Japan)
(Application Deadline: 09.April)
RIKEN (Japan's largest comprehensive research institution) is currently accepting applications for the FY 2025 Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) Program, from young, creative, independent researchers who will be a powerful force in furthering RIKEN’s research activities in Mathematical Sciences (pure mathematics, applied mathematics, computer science, information science, artificial intelligence, etc.), Physics I (particle, nuclear, astrophysics, etc.), Physics II ( condensed matter), Chemistry, Biology (cell biology, developmental biology, plant biology, structural biology, microbiology, imaging, measuring, etc.), Medical Science (brain science, psychology, immunology, oncology, genome science, etc.) and Engineering that relate to research being conducted at RIKEN. 70 openings are available. Learn more.
Opportunities
(Undergraduate) Project Management Intern at IBM / NORDTECH, Albany Nanotech Complex, NY
Provide project management support to teams of program managers, business development executives, and researchers in delivering solutions to U.S. Federal customers; assist in developing the IBM Research program management processes and tools; and support proposal development for IBM Research government projects. This position will support supports the day to day operations of NORDTECH Hub. Learn more.
(Undergrad / Grad) Battery Materials Summer Internship, Cabot Corporation, Billerica, MA
The Battery Materials Group at Cabot develops advanced cathode, anode and conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries, that enable a more sustainable future. This internship provides an opportunity for a qualified undergraduate or graduate student to gain industrial experience, in a high growth area. This role is expected to provide experimental support and product characterization analysis for key projects within the Battery Materials Group. You will be responsible for working closely with battery scientists to develop conductive carbon additive dispersions and test their quality through various analytical methods as well as battery performance testing. Due to the technical nature of the work involved, this position requires a relatively strong technical background and hands-on lab experience, preferably a chemical engineering, materials engineering, or chemistry student with great laboratory skills. Learn more.
Other Webinars / Conferences / Development
Electronic System Design Alliance (ESDA) Webinar: Chiplet Security – Current and Future (14.March, 12pm ET, virtual webinar)
Many semiconductor-based systems are moving toward 2.5D and 3D designs consisting of different pre-manufactured chips (chiplets) that perform specific functions. These are often provided by multiple vendors and are typically interconnected using an interposer. However, unlike monolithic multi-function chips, chiplets can be developed anywhere and at any process node. The webinar will focus on the potential threats that occur at the different stages of bringing chiplets to life, including design, assembly, and testing. The panelists will assess current safeguards to mitigate these risks and discuss open challenges for industry and academia. Learn more.
Graduate Research Symposium Call for Abstracts
(Deadline: 15.March)
All graduate students are encouraged to submit poster presentation and podium presentation abstracts for the 2024 Graduate Research Symposium, scheduled for May 10. Learn more.
Publications on our radar
Kelley M.M.; Sundararaman R.; Arias T.A., Fully Ab Initio Approach to Inelastic Atom-Surface Scattering, 2024, Physical Review Letters, DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.016203
Parvez N.; Amjad S.N.; Dey M.K.; Picu C.R., Methodological Aspects and Mesh Convergence in Numerical Analysis of Athermal Fiber Network Material Deformation, 2024, Fibers, DOI:10.3390/fib12010009
Lou Y.; Palermo E.F., Dynamic Antimicrobial Poly(disulfide) Coatings Exfoliate Biofilms On Demand Via Triggered Depolymerization, 2024, Advanced Healthcare Materials, DOI:10.1002/adhm.202303359
Murray B.; Wang X.; Narayan S., In situ measurement of multistep anodic aluminum oxide fabrication for quartz crystal microbalance-based sensing applications, 2024, Applied Thermal Engineering, DOI:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122602
Merson J.S.; Picu C.R.; Shephard M.S., A new open-source framework for multiscale modeling of fibrous materials on heterogeneous supercomputers, 2024, Engineering with Computers, DOI:10.1007/s00366-023-01934-4
Nazirkar N.P.; Srinivasan S.; Harder R.; Fohtung E., Manipulating metastability: Quenched control of topological defects in multiferroics, 2024, AIP Advances, DOI:10.1063/9.0000765
Wang T.; Tran V.; Bassène P.; Fohtung E.; Rhone T.; N’Gom M., Adaptive methods of generating complex light arrays, 2024, Journal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics and Image Science, and Vision, DOI:10.1364/JOSAA.507656
In case you have missed ..
We welcomed the delegates from NSTXL (National Security Technology Accelerator) Road Show. The guests toured Micro and Nanofabrication CleanRoom facilities with Kent Way and visited IBM Quantum System One.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) signed a collaboration agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and NY CREATES to advance Quantum Information Science Engineering and Technology and Microelectronics in New York State and the nation. Representatives from each organization signed a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex on Friday, February 9, 2024. The MOU will guide research alignment, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and developing joint research programs that leverage each partner’s strengths. Read more.
We welcomed the inaugural class of RPI-HVCC Semiconductor Scholars to Micro and Nanofabrication CleanRoom. The initial cohort of scholars has six first-year students in the Engineering Science AAS degree at HVCC who will explore future careers in the semiconductor industry while working with RPI faculty mentors in RPI’s state-of-the-art labs and facilities. Read more.
Deborah McGuiness (TWC) has been elected a fellow of the ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, “for contributions to knowledge technologies including ontologies and knowledge graphs.” McGuinness is one of 68 fellows selected by her peers to receive the honor for transformative contributions to computing science and technology. Congratulations! Read more.
Jacob Shelley (CHEM) lab has been featured at an Inside the Laboratory series by LCGC and Spectroscopy. This series spotlights the current chromatographic and spectroscopic research groups, and the importance of their research in analytical chemistry and specific industries. Congratulations!. Read more.
CMDIS Monthly newsletter is published mid-month, share your input, success stories, announcements or news for March.
Cover image: Gregory Parisi (MANE), Gummy Nematode’s Cross Section in Focus, 2023 CMDIS Annual Research Symposium
Website: https://cmdis.rpi.edu
Contact: rended3@rpi.edu
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