Interface and
Surface Science at the College of William & Mary in Virginia
The
area of interface characterization, surface analysis and thin film deposition
deals with understanding factors which control surface characteristics, the relationship
between the structure of surfaces and the properties associated with those
surfaces, and processes for altering surfaces and surface properties. For
purposes of this discussion surfaces can be defined as thin films micrometers
thick to the first few atomic layers as well as interfaces between materials
and nanostructures such as nanotubes. Applications include microelectronics,
semiconductor processing, environmental monitoring of pollutants, new nano- and
micro- sized structures and devices, biologically active materials, soft
tissues and food safety.
The knowledge and technology that have come from this area of research is
what ignited the industrial revolution in
Students
that work in this area usually come from a wide range of backgrounds including
biology, chemistry, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics,
materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics. The
specific background needed depends heavily on the specific project and area
that the student focuses on. It is not unusual for a single professor to have
students with very diverse backgrounds working for him at the same time. For
the same reason, the list of relevant classes is very broad. However, most
students take the Materials Science sequence (APSC 621 & 622) along with
the math sequence (APSC 607 & 608) and the Introduction to Solid Surfaces
and Interfaces (APSC 625) their first year at William & Mary. Other courses
are custom fit to their background and areas of interest.
Research into interfaces, surfaces, and thin films is one of the most active areas of research in the Applied Science Department at William & Mary. Activity in the Applied Science Department spans the range of the field with experimental, theoretical and computational projects (and often projects that incorporate aspects of all three approaches). The members of the Interface and Surface Science Area form a diverse, interactive group of faculty and students who regularly work together to solve complex, interdisciplinary, fundamental and application-oriented problems.
Faculty:
Prof. Michael
Kelley (Applied Science & JLab)
Prof. Gunter
Luepke (Applied Science)
CSX Prof. Dennis Manos (Applied Science)
Research
Prof. Ron Outlaw (Applied Science)
Asst.
Prof. Hannes Schniepp (Applied Science)
Follow the links below for information about our various research groups.
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