IRGs

The theme of IRG5 is to create and investigate the properties of new multiferroics, whose very existence (as multiferroics) is made possible by strain. Traditionally the search for new multiferroics involves identifying unstrained phases that exist within composition space. Adding strain vastly increases the dimensional space available to adjust the properties of multiferroics.

The primary goal of IRG #2 is to develop and produce materials with superior mechanical properties using polymer-based processing strategies that include polymers, ceramics, metals, and structured composite materials.
Polymers and gels are versatile materials with useful mechanical, electrical and biological functions. Center scientists are developing methods for controlling the properties of these materials by tuning […]

Faculty participants: A.F. Bower, E. Chason, L.B. Freund, P. Guduru, K.S. Kumar, B.W. Sheldon, V. Shenoy, (7 students, 1 post-docs)
A major unifying theme of IRG1 is the coupling between stress, surface kinetics and surface energetics to understand dynamical evolution at small length scales.
Center’s pages

IRG Senior Participants:
Paul McEuen (co-leader, Phys), Jiwoong Park (co-leader, C&CB), Garnet Chan (C&CB), Harold Craighead (A&EP), Richard Hennig (MS&E), Jeevak Parpia (Phys), Keith Schwab (Phys), Michael Spencer (E&CE)
Collaborators: K. Ekinci (Boston Univ.), P. Kim (Columbia Univ.), B. Lane (Analog Devices), M. Zalalutdinov (NRL)
Our group is exploring the properties of atomic membranes: mechanically robust, freestanding […]

12 PARTICIPATING FACULTY: BIANCONI, EMRICK, GIDO, HALLOCK, HOAGLAND, KOKKOLI, MCCARTHY, MUTHUKUMAR, ROTELLO, RUSSELL, SANTORE, TUOMINEN (WITH 9 GRADUATE STUDENTS AND 1 POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW)
The increasing technological need for small-scale devices, sensors with amplified response, and well-defined bioresponsive surfaces requires a control over the lateral arrangement of morphologies in thin films or interacting sites on a surface. […]

This IRG on Mechanics of Amorphous and NanoscaleShear band patterns Metal Composites and Foam Structures will focus on modeling and mechanical characterization of (i) monolithic amorphous metals with improved combinations of strength, ductility, and toughness, low cost, and processability, (ii) composite materials having an amorphous matrix combined with nanoscale or microscale dispersions of elastically “soft” […]

This IRG investigates mechanical properties in thin films and interfaces that are both a scientific challenge and an important technological problem. Understanding the mechanical behavior of materials requires insight into phenomena at different length scales. This IRG has established the importance of mechanics in describing thin films.

This IRG focuses on understanding the mechanical properties of the cell, a central object of study in biology, and its structural components. Tools and techniques necessary to study problems in biology at the scale of a single cell are being developed using the materials expertise of MRSEC participants. This IRG has established the use of […]

Fundamental Issues in Materials Integration on Silicon investigates the fundamental atomistic and mesoscopic mechanisms underlying the integration of materials, devices and structures on silicon, as an integration platform. Materials integration on Si leverages the power of CMOS through the addition of other components, thereby increasing function while maintaining the advantages and the versatility of […]

The next generation of polymer-based materials will rely on the incorporation of multiple components to achieve superior and tunable properties; this, in turn, will require control over chemical connectivity and morphology from the nanometer scale up to microns. The thermodynamic incompatibility of most polymer pairs demands a flexible strategy for designing hybrid materials in both […]

Many state-of-the-art microelectronic, photonic and MEMS devices are based upon small scale contacts for which performance and fabrication are governed by the deformation, adhesion, and transport properties of many diverse materials and interfaces. Yet despite the widespread use of such devices, there is only a limited understanding of the phenomena governing adhesion, a shortfall that […]

Senior Investigators:
Gerbrand Ceder (group leader)
Martin Z. Bazant
Angela M. Belcher
Yang Shao-Horn
Anne M. Mayes
Donald R. Sadoway

Research Goals: The need for efficient portable power is extremely important in today’s society and is becoming critically important to many new technologies that will impact consumer electronics and communication, health monitoring, entertainment, environmental oversight, and national security. This IRG seeks to […]

The mission of the MIMP is to understand the mechanistic origins of the grain boundary character distribution, a five-dimensional materials specific quantity, and its influence on the macroscopic properties and performance of polycrystalline materials. Our integrated program of theory, experiment, and simulation leverages the skills of scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines. The development of […]