Highlights
Periodically, the MRSEC posts scientific research Highlights, i.e. brief one or two page descriptions of important scientific or technological discoveries and innovative new outreach initiatives which have resulted from NSF or other support. Feel free to explore the ones that we have provided here.
Click below to learn more:
IRG 1 – Stress in Thin Films and Small Scale Structures
IRG 2 – Multiscale Mechanics of Complex Microstructures
SEED – Micromechanics of Cell Adhesion
OUTREACH/INDUSTRY
IRG 1 – Stress in Thin Films and Small Scale Structures
IRG 1 emphasizes the mechanics of thin film and small-scale structures, focusing on the energetics and stability of nanostructured materials and the evolution of stress during film growth and other non-equilibrium processes.
Kinetic Model of Whisker Growth in Sn Films - 2009
The spontaneous growth of whiskers from Pb-free Sn solder films on Cu substrates poses a serious threat to the reliability of electronic circuits. More
Grain Boundaries Control Residual Stress in Thin Films - 2009
Stresses in thin films can limit their performance or induce failure, so understanding and controlling stress evolution during growth is critical. More
Composition maps in self-assembled alloy quantum dots – 2008
Quantum dot structures enable the creation of materials with unique electronic properties for use in optoelectronic and memory devices. Control of the composition profiles is critical since variations in composition at the nanoscale can substantially influence their electronic properties. More
Flexible metallic interconnects for displays applications – 2008
Robust electrical interconnects are considered one of the major enabling technologies for the next generation of electronics. Flexible electronics inherently introduce added levels of complexity to the design. More
Island Size Effects on Tensile Stress Evolution during Polycrystalline Film Growth - 2008
Controlling the stresses that develop during thin film growth is a critical fabrication issue in a variety of technologies, including microelectronic circuits, protective coatings for aerospace and automotive systems, and small-scale MEMS/NEMS structures. One important mechanism is tensile growth stress due to grain boundary formation. More
Past IRG 1 Highlights
- 2007
- 2006
IRG 2 – Multiscale Mechanics of Complex Microstructures
IRG 2 emphasizes the multiscale mechanics of complex microstructures, focusing on the prediction and mechanisms of deformation, fracture and fatigue of micron-scale multiphase materials and ultra-fine grain materials.
Mechanics of Crack Deflection at a twist grain boundary - 2009
Heterogeneous brittle solids such as ceramics, lamellar intermetallics, and polycrystalline hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) metals such as Zr, Zn and Cd are technologically important and broadly used. More
Crack Interaction with Grain Boundaries in Zinc Bicrystals - 2009
Grain boundaries are inherent defects in most materials of technological relevance. Understanding how a growing crack interacts with them will enable design of microstructures to enhance the material toughness, a desirable feature for many structural applications. More
Computer Modeling of Deformation in Nanocrystalline Materials – 2008
Nanocrystalline materials are novel materials with an extremely small (20-100nm) grain size. These materials have extraordinarily high flow stress in comparison to conventional, coarse-grained materials and are therefore attractive candidates for applications ranging from radiation tolerant components in reactors, to hard wear resistant coatings. More
Contact strength of surface-composite nano and micro structures – 2008
Past IRG 2 Highlights
SEED – Micromechanics of Cell Adhesion
The Seed project extends our established expertise in quantitative mechanics to the problem of adhesion in biological systems. This work represents a natural outgrowth of our mechanics base into a class of biological phenomena that are critical to life in animals and in which the effects of stress and deformation are paramount.
Past SEED Highlights
- 2007
- 2006
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Brownout Program - 2009 Brown undergraduates and faculty visit local science/math classes or youth programs to present engineering topics to students in Grades K-12. More |
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RET Projects - 2009 Teachers work with faculty to develop classroom modules for their use. More
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General Motors/Brown Collaborative Research Lab on Computational Materials Science - 2008 |
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RET Project: Optimization Problems in Solid Geometry – 2008 |
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RET Project: Nanotechnology in the Chemistry Classroom - 2008 This project focused on developing improved injectable bone healing materials. Specifically, synthesized and combined nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (the main inorganic component to bone) with a novel injectable material composed of DNA base pairs (called helical rosette nanotubes). More |
Past Outreach/Industry Highlights