NanoTechnology: Materials, Processes & Devices

Chemiresistive gas sensors play a critical role in environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and medical diagnostics, where high selectivity toward specific target analytes is of paramount importance but remains challenging. Among various sensing materials, SnO₂ is one of the most widely used materials in commercial gas-sensing platforms due to its high sensitivity, low cost, and technological maturity. Conventional strategies to improve selectivity in SnO₂-based sensors primarily rely on metal doping or loading, which modulates surface reactions and electronic...

While silicon has been the workhorse for much of the MEMS sensor industry, it has its shortcomings when compared to other materials that might be used, namely diamond. Diamond has advantages over silicon in Young’s modulus, quality factor, and surface inertness, all of which could contribute to improved MEMS device performance. This project specifically employs diamond to increase the velocity of resonant mechanical structures towards better performance for sensors and frequency control devices.

Project is currently funded by: Federal

Safe and deformable soft batteries are highly desirable for applications such as mobile electronics and conformable systems on irregular surfaces. Conventional Li-ion batteries rely on rigid packaging and hermetic sealing to block moisture intrusion and prevent leakage of toxic, flammable organic electrolytes. In contrast, recently reported deformable or stretchable batteries provide good conformability but suffer rapid performance degradation in ambient conditions, limiting their operating lifetimes. The fundamental challenge is that mechanical softness and gas impermeability are mutually...

We are developing a DC-tunable, high-impedance superconducting resonator platform based on strongly disordered TiN thin films with large kinetic inductance (~90 pH/sq). The high sheet inductance enables nanowire resonators with characteristic impedances larger than the resistance quantum, thereby enhancing voltage zero-point fluctuations and coupling to individual and ensemble two-level systems (TLS), including defects in bulk silicon. By injecting a DC bias current through the nanowire, the kinetic inductance and thus the resonance frequency can be continuously tuned via current...