Up Close: Materials - MRSEC to determine how heat treatments ... aries. With the ability to ......

IntroductionIn 1994, the U.S. National Science

Foundation (NSF) established MaterialsResearch Science and Engineering Centers(MRSECs). The goal was to provide sup-port for interdisciplinary materialsresearch and education of the highestquality while addressing fundamentalproblems in science and engineering thatare important to society. The centers areexpected to undertake materials researchof a scope and complexity that would notbe feasible under traditional funding forindividual research projects or smallgroups. Centers are funded for a limitedperiod of time—currently five years—after which they can re-compete againstnew proposals. In 1994, MRSECs wereestablished at 11 universities throughoutthe country. Two years later, 13 new cen-ters were established in a second round offunding. Additional competitions werecompleted in 1998, 2000, and 2002. As ofApril 2002, there were 29 MRSECs.

Materials science and engineering is aninherently interdisciplinary field. When itbegan, the field could be characterized asthe application of chemistry and physics tothe solid state; but more recently, it hasbeen recognized that the concepts devel-oped from this work, which were andremain relevant in fields such as metallur-gy, semiconductor science and technology,and polymer science, could also be usefulfor problems in fields such as biology andgeology. At the same time, many computa-tional methods have been developed thatsimulate the behavior of materials, and thefocus of understanding and applicationhas continually shifted with time from thebulk and mesoscopic scales toward thenanoscale. Because of the great breadth of

the field, which can be seen through theexamples shown in Figure 1, NSF has formany years provided group funding to

encourage interdisciplinary activity. The current MRSECs are the descen-

dents of the Interdisciplinary Laboratoriesstarted by the Advanced Research ProjectAgency in the early 1960s. In 1971, theselaboratories were transferred to NSF andwere renamed Materials Research Labora-tories (MRLs). These MRLs were followedby the Materials Research Groups (MRGs)of the 1980s and early 1990s which, in turn,were followed by the MRSECs. However,the MRSECs differ in several importantways from their predecessors. Althoughworld-class research still lies at the core ofthe MRSECs and the centers maintainstate-of-the-art shared facilities that can beused by other universities and industries,these new centers have an expandedscope. The responsibility of technicallytrained experts to educate the public atlarge on technical matters and to encour-age young people to enter this field isemphasized through the large number ofeducation outreach programs run by thesecenters. Another emphasis of these centersis the interaction between universities and

MRS BULLETIN/AUGUST 2002 637

Up Close: MaterialsResearch Science andEngineering Centers—U.S. National Network for Materials Research

Clyde L. Briant

Figure 1. Examples demonstrating the breadth of research in the Materials ResearchScience and Engineering Center (MRSEC) program. (a) A spinodal self-assembly ofnanocrystals resulting from van der Waals interactions, obtained at the Columbia UniversityMRSEC. (b) Self-assembled Fe-Co-Pt nanoparticles studied as part of research at theUniversity of Alabama MRSEC. (c) Cracks propagating in lamellar TiAl examined at the BrownUniversity MRSEC. (d) Low-temperature ultrahigh-vacuum scanning transmission electronmicroscopy image of nanotube “peapods” studied at the University of Pennsylvania MRSEC.

a b

dc

www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin

Up Close: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers

industries. These centers work closely witha number of industries to define importantareas of research and to transition ideasdeveloped in the university into practice.These transitions occur through the strongindustrial ties that are part of each center.

The MRSECs represent a national net-work to facilitate materials research, edu-cation, and practice throughout the UnitedStates. They are a resource that can be usedby elementary and secondary schools, col-leges and universities, and industries. Thepurpose of this article is to describe theactivities of these centers and, through theexamples given, to encourage their use.Detailed information on the topics dis-cussed (and much more) can be found atwww.mrsec.org. This Web site for theMRSEC program has links to all of theindividual centers.

ResearchAt the heart of these centers is research

in materials science and engineering.Within each center, the research is broadlyorganized into Interdisciplinary ResearchGroups (IRGs). Each of these IRGs has afocused research theme. In this section,several of the research programs will behighlighted.

The study of microstructure and itseffect on properties remains central tomaterials science. In some areas, the goal isto understand microstructure at the atomiclevel and to make use of state-of-the-artelectron microscopy or other techniques toreach this goal. However, another impor-tant goal is to obtain three-dimensional(3D) microstructures of a material in orderto achieve a through-thickness view.Although the resolution used in thesestudies may be somewhat lower than thatused in atomic-scale studies, the wealth ofinformation obtained by examining theinterrelationship of different elements ofthe microstructure in three dimensionsprovides great insight into many impor-tant problems. One example of this type ofwork is being performed at the MRSEC atthe State University of New York, StonyBrook, that is focused on thermal-sprayresearch. This center has strong industrialties and works to understand and improvecurrent methods for thermal spray and todevelop new methods of thermal-spraydeposition. A crucial element of the under-standing that leads to improved thermallysprayed products is determining thenature and distribution of the defects in thestructure. These include sizes and surface-area distributions of features such asintrasplat cracks, intersplat lamellar pores,and globular pores. This information canthen be used to define the complex rela-tionships between microstructure and

spray-process conditions. One novel way in which researchers at

this MRSEC have probed the 3D micro-structure is through the use of x-ray com-puted microtomography (CMT). CMT isan imaging technique that providescross-sectional views of the interior of anobject. The CMT image represents point-to-point linear-attenuation coefficients ina slice to discriminate between thicknessand density changes. Density maps areobtained by reconstructing the sequentialcross-sectional slices. Thus, CMT allowsstudies of difficult-to-analyze microstruc-tural features. Figures 2a and 2b showCMT micrographs, at a resolution ofabout 1 µm, in plasma-sprayed partiallystabilized zirconia coatings, which areused as thermal-barrier coatings in gasturbines. Figure 2a shows the globularpore structure in the as-sprayed coating,and Figure 2b shows the loss of thesepores through sintering during thermalcycling. Thus, the microstructure can beprobed to determine how heat treatmentscan lead to the elimination of defects.

Researchers in the MRSEC at CarnegieMellon University (CMU) are also work-ing on 3D representations of microstruc-tures. In particular, they have examinedthe 3D grain-boundary network thatexists in materials. By combining auto-mated digital microscopy and computeranalysis of image data, the researchersrecently reconstructed the 3D structure ofa 5 × 106-µm2-grain-boundary area in acubic millimeter of a polycrystallineceramic, MgO. Results show that specialtypes of grain boundaries occur far morefrequently than others and that theseboundaries are not predicted by currentlyaccepted theories. Figure 2c plots the stan-dard projection on a [001] pole figure ofthe population of grain-boundary planesat two fixed misorientations (5° about<111> on the left and 60° about <111> on theright). The peaks and minima in the func-tion illustrate that specific planes arefavored over others and, thus, that there isa high density of special grain bound-aries. With the ability to characterize thegrain-boundary network with this level ofdetail, it may now be possible to under-stand how these special boundaries influ-ence the properties and processing ofsolid polycrystalline materials.

Biological and soft materials represent astrong new research thrust in many of thecenters. This research often leads to mate-rial design at the atomic or even electroniclevel. For example, researchers at theCornell University MRSEC have devel-oped molecular transistor devices thatmay enable the manipulations of singleelectrons on the smallest possible device

length scale in which an electron hops onand off a single atom between two con-tacts. This device has been achieved bynanofabricating gold electrodes separatedby a very narrow gap, as shown in Figure2d. A single molecule containing a cobaltatom in a well-designed bonding configu-ration is then incorporated into the gap.The electrical characteristics of the transis-tor can be varied systematically by mak-ing chemical changes to the molecule. Thiswork represents two significant steps for-ward in the field of molecular electronics:the ability to design the electronic states ofa molecular device using chemical tech-niques and the ability to measure theproperties of individual molecules.

In a joint effort between the MRSECs atthe University of Minnesota and the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania, vesicles shown inFigure 2e were made from amphiphilicdiblock copolymers and characterized bymicromanipulation. The average molecu-lar weight of the various polymers studiedare at least several times greater than thatof typical phospholipids in natural mem-branes. Although the membrane elasticmoduli of the polymersomes (polymer-based liposomes) fall within the range oflipid membrane measurements, the giantpolymersomes proved to be an order ofmagnitude or more tougher, sustaining fargreater areal strain before rupture. Thepolymersome membranes were at least10× more impermeable to water than com-mon phospholipid bilayers. The resultssuggest a new class of synthetic thin-shelled capsules based on synthetic block-copolymer chemistry.

Studies of the electronic and magneticproperties of materials continues to be acentral research theme in many IRGs.Strain-driven self-assembly of semiconduc-tor nanostructures holds promise as a basisfor quantum device fabrication. Research inseveral laboratories has shown that for epi-taxial island formation in the Si/Ge system,small islands grow predominantly with{105} lateral faces. At Brown University,researchers have developed a framework,based on the evolution of stepped crystallo-graphic surfaces, to understand the physi-cal origins of this surface orientation and toshow the intimate connection betweenstrain and surface reconstruction that leadsto this surface orientation.

One research group in the MRSEC atthe Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology (MIT) is working on the designand fabrication of microphotonic materi-als and structures. Such materials allowan unprecedented level of control overthe confinement and propagation of lightat dimensions that enable the design andeventual integration of a large number of

638 MRS BULLETIN/AUGUST 2002


micro devices on a single chip. Thisgroup has recently utilized a photoniccrystal to dramatically improve the lightoutput of semiconductor light-emittingdiodes (LEDs). This goal has been accom-plished by explicitly controlling the spon-taneous emission into the guided modesof the device. The basic idea is to exploitthree important characteristics of two-dimensional periodic photonic-crystalslab geometries. The first is the possibilityof designing a photonic bandgap within arange of frequencies for the in-planeguided modes of the system. The secondis the possibility of coupling to resonantmodes above the bandgap. The third isan intrinsic upper cutoff frequency forwaveguiding in the plane. In all cases,these frequency ranges can be used toprevent radiation from propagating intothe dielectric slab, thus forcing the lightinto the light-cone of the air region. Themicrophotonics team has recently de-signed a prototype photonic-crystal LED


Figure 2. Research is at the heart of theMaterials Research Science andEngineering Centers.

(a)–(b) Work done at the MRSEC onthermal-spray processing at the StateUniversity of New York, Stony Brook. X-ray computed microtomographyresults show microstructural featuresobserved in plasma-sprayed, partiallystabilized zirconia coatings, used as thermal-barrier coatings in gas turbines.The resolution is 1–1.5 µm. (a) Globularpore structure in an as-sprayed coating.(b) Sintering effect during thermal cyclingat 1150°C for a total of 10 cycles.

(c) A standard projection on [001] of a3D structure of the grain boundaries inpolycrystalline MgO that was fabricatedat the Carnegie Mellon UniversityMRSEC. The projection illustrates thepopulation of grain-boundary planes attwo fixed misorientations (5° about ⟨111⟩on the left and 60° about ⟨111⟩ on theright). The units are in multiples of a ran-dom distribution. The peaks and minimain the function illustrate that specificplanes are favored over others.

(d) A molecular transistor in which asingle electron can hop on and off acobalt atom; developed at the CornellUniversity MRSEC.

(e) Research performed jointly by theUniversity of Minnesota and theUniversity of Pennsylvania MRSECs.Cryo-transmission electron microscopyimages of vesicles (main structures),wormlike micelles (left arrow) and spher-ical micelles (right arrow) formed frompoly(ethyl oxide)–poly(ethylethylene)PEO-PEE diblocks in water.

(f) Schematic of a photonic-crystallight-emitting diode. This device wasmade at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology MRSEC.

a b

c

d

fe


to the imposed fabrication and testingrequirements (Figure 2f). This LED wasdesigned to operate in the resonant-moderegime and has now been fabricated, test-ed, and found to possess integrated extrac-tion efficiencies that are eightfold greaterthan the control LED.

These brief summaries describe only afew of the interdisciplinary research pro-grams. Table I provides a guide to all ofthe research areas in these centers andspecific achievements that have beenaccomplished there. With this informa-tion and the MRSEC Web site (www.mrsec.org), one can explore the broadrange of research that is ongoing throughthe MRSEC program.

Education OutreachEducational activities are an integral

component of each MRSEC. Conductedthrough various partnerships, these activi-ties greatly expand MRSEC research intothe community, making it accessible toteachers, students, and nontechnical audi-ences. Since materials research involves acombination of diverse disciplines in sci-ence and engineering, such efforts byMRSECs are ideally suited to enhance sci-ence literacy; simultaneously, the centershelp to recruit a diverse group of talentedstudents into the field. The communityparticipants, likewise, benefit by newopportunities for professional develop-ment. This section describes some of theoutreach programs: ones in which studentsand teachers from K–12 come to the centerto work, and ones in which university fac-ulty and students work with communitygroups, especially with local schools.

Nearly every MRSEC conducts a pro-gram called Research Experience forUndergraduates (REU). This programintroduces undergraduate students to thefield of materials science as they gain valu-able research experience during the sum-mer. Such experience is especially valuablefor students at colleges with limitedresearch programs. The program may alsohelp students recognize their aptitude forgraduate-level research and, thus, affecttheir career paths. REU students typicallywork with faculty and research staff at aMRSEC site on a short-term research pro-ject. Often they are part of a community ofREU students on a campus and haveopportunities to participate in organizedsocial and professional-development activ-ities. For example, the students at BrownUniversity become part of a larger groupof summer interns through the LeadershipAlliance, a group that helps place under-represented minority students in summerprograms at major research universities.As part of this activity, the participants

present papers at the end of the summer ata national conference that encompassesmany areas of research, both technical andnontechnical. In addition, faculty fromother universities may participate in sum-mer programs. At the University ofMinnesota MRSEC, graduate student RickSchroden and Nagalingam Balakrishnanof United Tribes Technical College workedduring a summer program to develop alaboratory guide titled An Inverse OpalPhotonic-Crystals Laboratory Guide, whichprovides step-by-step procedures for thesynthesis of crystals based on macro-porous metal oxides: www.mrsec.umn.edu/mrsec/main.shtml. During the sum-mer, Anna Gopher, one of Balakrishnan’sstudents, worked with him at the Uni-versity of Minnesota on the research pro-ject (see Figures 3a and 3b, p. 643).

In addition to bringing undergraduatestudents to the university for summer re-search, many MRSECs have Research Ex-perience for Teachers (RET) programswhich involve middle school and highschool science teachers in research pro-jects. Within this program, participantsdevelop curricular materials to use in theirclassrooms. While most of the projectsoccur during the summer, in some casesteachers continue their participation intothe academic year. The teachers may becompensated with a stipend, professional-development credits, or graduate schoolcredit; these benefits vary among theMRSECs.

As a result of working in a researchenvironment, the teachers are better ableto communicate the content, process, andexcitement of science to their students.During their summer experiences, teach-ers become familiar not only with thetechniques and procedures of forefrontresearch laboratories, but also with otherteachers as well as scientists and engi-neers at a variety of career stages. Theirexperience provides them with a networkof professional contacts that can enablethem to sustain and expand upon theirexperiences. Likewise, MRSEC personnelgain experience in communicating theirresearch and in building the strength ofthe research community. One example ofa RET program involves teacher DebbieDesser, who worked with GiacintoScoles, a professor at Princeton Univer-sity (see Figures 3c and 3d).

In many programs, MRSEC faculty,staff, and students go to the schools towork with teachers and students or supplymaterials to the schools to aid in curricu-lum development. With their collectivelybroad knowledge of physics, chemistry,biology, and engineering, MRSEC re-searchers aid in the establishment of inter-

disciplinary connections while assisting incurriculum development and helping tomeet the standards-based curriculumreform emphasizing hands-on learningand inquiry. For example, Cornell MRSECscientists have provided Spanish-languagescience education (see Figure 3e), whilePrinceton MRSEC researchers have beenhelping teachers in New Jersey publicschools implement new inquiry-basedexperimental kits and have provided back-ground and supplementary material.MRSEC scientists have also developedworkshops that support continuous pro-fessional development for teachers. SeveralMRSECs provide instructional materialson various subjects in materials research.The Materials World Modules Program atthe Northwestern University MRSEC hasdeveloped nine inquiry-based modules ontopics such as composites, biosensors,polymers, and sports materials that havebeen used by 15,000 students throughoutthe United States. The University ofWisconsin—Madison MRSEC has devel-oped instructional materials around itstheme of nanostructured materials, such astheir hands-on kit and booklet called“Exploring the Nanoworld,” designed fornontechnical audiences. An example isshown in Figure 3f.

Some MRSECs are participating in “Aska Scientist” programs, including a fewspecifically designed to serve the K–12teaching community. For example, theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara(UCSB) ScienceLine Internet project(www.scienceline.ucsb.edu) links UCSBresearchers with K–12 schools and thecommunity. Students and teachers postscience-related questions by e-mail andreceive one or more responses from scien-tists in a variety of fields. An archive ofpast questions and answers may be foundat the Web site www.ccmr.cornell.edu/ask/index.html. The teachers are guaran-teed an answer within one week. Cornell’sMRSEC publishes a weekly “Ask AScientist” column in its local newspapers,the Ithaca Journal and the Binghamton Pressand Sun-Bulletin.

In addition to working with schools,some MRSECs have partnered withmuseums and science centers to provideoutreach to the public. The University ofChicago MRSEC has worked with theChicago Museum of Science and In-dustry, and is assisting the OntarioScience Center (Toronto) in the design ofa large, mobile exhibit dealing with thefield of materials science that is sched-uled for a tour across North America,starting in Toronto. A similar travellingexhibit on modern materials is beingdeveloped by The Pennsylvania State


*Reproduced from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Web site www.mrsec.org/centers. Access the Web site to view research highlights.



Research Group

Biomolecular and Biomimetic Materials

Coatings and Ceramics

Condensed-Matter Phenomena

Magnetic and FerroelectricMaterials andStructures

Nanostructures

Mechanics of Materials

NonequilibriumPhenomena

Organic Systems and Colloids

Polymers

Semiconductors and Photonics

Synthesis and Processing

Surfaces, Layers, and Interfaces

Research Topic Area

Biomaterials microstructures, biomimetic synthesis, interfaces, porous materialsBiosynthesis of macromolecular materialsBio-interfacial scienceInterfaces between synthetic and bio systemsArtificial tissuesFunctional biomolecular materialsBio-inspired compositesBiomolecular membranesNanostructured materials as interfaces to biology

Complex oxides for photonicsMultifunctional complex oxidesThermal-spray coatings, synthesis of oxides

Mesoscopic self-assembly, colloids, polymers, tunable quantum materialsFerroelectric liquid crystalsDoped Mott insulatorsCollective phenomena in restricted geometriesPhases and excitations in low-dimensional electronic materials

Thin-film and particulate materials for ultrahigh-density data storagePolarization dynamics in ferroelectric thin films, metal oxides with high spin polarizationGiant magnetoresistance, diamond, magnetic and electronic sensingMagnetic heterostructures, spintronics

Structural integrated films containing nanoparticlesElectron and spin transport in nanostructured materials, dynamic mechanical properties of nanoscale materialsElectronic microsystemsNanostructures with enhanced magneto-electronic effectsCarbon nanotubes, synthesis, and processingNanostructured materials for chemical and biological sensing,

polyelectrolyte nanocomposites and structuresSemiconductor nanostructures—growth and characterization; nanoscale interfaces and magneto-electronicsCarbon nanotube materialsNanoscopic design, quantum dots, surfaces

Micro- and nanomechanics of electronic/structural materialsBulk metallic glasses and compositesGrain boundaries, metals/ceramics; simulationsMicromechanical systems

Strongly nonequilibrium phenomena in complex materialsMacroscopic dynamics of materialsPhotonic sensing and turbulent flow

Microscale soft materialsOrganic molecular-beam epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, thin films, quantum structures

Mesoscopic macromolecular structuresNanoscale polymer–inorganic hybrid materialsControlled interfacial interactions, polymers in supercritical fluidsMicrostructure and mechanical performance of polymersMolecular mechanisms of environmentally benign polymer processingAmphiphilic polymers: self-assemblyMacromolecular architecturesPolymers at engineered interfaces

Wide-gap filmsMicrophotonic materials and structuresChemical vapor deposition growth; materials integration on silicon

High-pressure synthesisFundamentals of energetic surface processingAdvanced oxides and fuel cells

Oxide glasses—surfaces and thin-film interfacesSurface nanostructures, dynamicsCritical grain boundaries in high-temperature superconductors for applications

Center

University of California at Santa BarbaraCalifornia Institute of TechnologyUniversity of ChicagoHarvard UniversityUniversity of MinnesotaUniversity of PennsylvaniaPrinceton UniversityStanford University—IBM/UC—DavisUniversity of Wisconsin—Madison

Northwestern UniversityUniversity of PennsylvaniaState University of New York at Stony Brook

University of ChicagoUniversity of ColoradoMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityPrinceton University

University of AlabamaUniversity of MarylandMichigan State UniversityUniversity of Minnesota

Columbia UniversityCornell UniversityHarvard UniversityThe Johns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of Kentucky

Northwestern UniversityUniversities of Oklahoma/ArkansasUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Wisconsin—Madison

Brown UniversityCalifornia Institute of TechnologyCarnegie Mellon UniversityHarvard University

University of California at Santa BarbaraUniversity of ChicagoMichigan State University

University of PennsylvaniaPrinceton University

University of California at Santa BarbaraCornell UniversityUniversity of MassachusettsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern UniversityPrinceton University Stanford/IBM/UC—DavisSUNY at Stony Brook—Garcia Polymer

Arizona State UniversityMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Wisconsin—Madison

Arizona State UniversityCornell UniversityUniversity of Houston

Cornell UniversityUniversity of MarylandUniversity of Wisconsin—Madison

Table I: Research Topic Areas within the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center System.*


University MRSEC in collaboration withthe Franklin Institute Science Museum inPhiladelphia, while the University ofWisconsin—Madison MRSEC is partner-ing with the Discovery World sciencecenter in Milwaukee to create newexhibits and K–12 teaching materialsbased on nanotechnology.

In summary, a continually increasingvariety of innovative programs in educa-tion and outreach remain a cornerstoneof the MRSECs. As the MRSEC programenters its second decade, the efforts of the29 centers in this direction have deter-mined what methods provide maximumleverage of the finite resources and whichprograms are most efficient. Such pro-grams will continue to be of paramountinterest because educating the generalpublic and future generations about theinterdisciplinary nature of materialsresearch will not only lead to a scientifi-cally and technologically literate publicbut also aid in providing the field with itsfuture researchers.

Industrial InteractionsMany industrial research laboratories

continue to downsize basic research, whileacademic laboratories exhibit an accelerat-ing interest in connecting fundamentalresearch to real-world problems. Thesetrends are creating an environment inwhich collaboration between these two sec-tors is becoming increasingly important forthe advancement of key technologies andthe achievement of national science andengineering goals. Given the central role ofmaterials in the industrial sector, MRSECsprovide a natural home for academic-industry interactions that have an impacton a large portion of commercially rele-vant research. NSF encourages eachMRSEC to develop such interactions.

A survey of the industrial outreach pro-grams coordinated by the 29 MRSECsreveals numerous companies and nationaland international laboratories engaged in col-laborative research, the companies rangingfrom small start-ups to large corporations(Table II, p. 645). Because the researchemphases and institutional cultures differ foreach MRSEC and each company, MRSECindustrial outreach programs are individu-ally tailored to optimize collaborations.

Interactions of academic research labor-atories with the industrial sector are gen-erally viewed in terms of technologytransfer or knowledge transfer. Althoughany distinction between these terms mayseem a question of semantics, they differwith respect to expected outcomes anddeliverables. Technology transfer is typi-cally associated with the development of aproduct or concept closely associated with

a specific commercial device and is com-monly accompanied by strict intellectual-property and inventor agreements.Knowledge transfer, on the other hand,emphasizes the transmission of ideas andconcepts that contribute to a company’s(or even an entire industry’s) understand-ing of principles that afford improvementsin commercial products or stimulate newinventions, although sometimes in lesstangible ways. Collaborative interactionsthat revolve around knowledge transferoften are performed in an unrestrictedmanner in which ideas are exchanged inboth directions and, in some cases, amongseveral companies in consortium-likearrangements. NSF officially endorsesknowledge transfer, but does not discour-age other, more directed interactions.Recognizing that a “one size fits all”model is inherently unworkable, NSFencourages the development of industrialoutreach programs that are best suited foreach center. Consequently, most MRSECshave flexible arrangements designed toaccommodate diverse company policiesand the fluidity of the industrial sector.

The various MRSEC industrial outreachprograms run the gamut from technology-transfer and knowledge-transfer arrange-ments to focused efforts with a few compa-nies (as well as broad portfolios containingnumerous member companies); start-upcompanies emerging from MRSEC re-search; and even programs that bring com-panies, MRSEC graduate students, andMBA students together to solve specificprocess and product problems. A commoncharacteristic of all of these arrangements,however, is the extension of the impact ofMRSECs beyond their university bound-aries and into the industrial sector.Because of their interdisciplinary charac-ter and group-based infrastructure,MRSECs can provide opportunities thatcan be incompatible with conventionalacademic research settings. Collaborationwith interdisciplinary centers like MRSECsbrings substantial benefits to industrialpartners, including■ cutting-edge fundamental researchthat complements research in the indus-trial sector;■ faculty, students, and postdocs skilledin critical and emerging research areas;■ state-of-the-art equipment and instru-mentation facilities, with expert operators;■ early exposure to newly developedcharacterization tools and methods;■ facilitated access to some large nationalfacilities;■ a direct role in the training and devel-opment of graduate students, many ofwhich are potential employees;■ participation in formulating research

directions and proposals;■ joint publications and inventions; ■ workshops and short courses, often for-mulated in concert with industrial partners;■ professional-development opportuni-ties through visiting scientist “sabbatical”experiences at universities; and■ center-based education and human-resource programs that can provideaccess to underrepresented students.

Of course, it is important to recognizethat the academic sector benefits enor-mously from industrial outreach as well.The introduction of valuable industrialperspectives—through industrial visitingscientists, participation of industrial mem-bers on advisory boards, co-advising ofgraduate students, and participation intopical workshops—introduces studentsand faculty to the issues and obstaclesthat confront industrial scientists in the“real world” of science and engineering.This environment naturally produces stu-dents and postdocs—the next generation ofscientists and engineers—who are highlysought by industrial laboratories. Equallyimportant is the advisory role that industri-al partners play in the evolution of researchat the centers. Company scientists andengineers often provide objective adviceand act as unbiased sounding boards, sub-stantially raising the quality and wideningthe impact of center research.

It is abundantly clear that MRSECs areplaying an important role in fosteringacademic–industry connections, catalyzingresearch collaborations, and creating a syn-ergism that, with proper direction, canonly enhance the missions of both sectors.The success of industry outreach, however,relies on the willingness of both parties torecognize the differences in their culturesand missions—short-term needs versuslong-term fundamental research, productcommercialization versus student educa-tion—and individuals who will spend theconsiderable effort often required to ensurea successful collaboration.

How to Get Involved This article has been an overview of the

Materials Research Science and Engi-neering Center (MRSEC) program that issponsored by the U.S. National ScienceFoundation. As can be seen by the exam-ples given in this article, in the sidebar onshared experimental facilities (see p. 644),and the many more examples that can beaccessed through the MRSEC Web site(www.mrsec.org), this group of centersprovides a great resource that can beused by other technical institutionsworldwide. Interested parties are encour-aged to contact the centers that offershared facilities or research programs




(f) The “Exploring the Nanoworld” kit,developed by the MRSEC at the Universityof Wisconsin—Madison and based on a 32-page color activity booklet that places thenanoscale in context and includes a dozenexperiments. The kit includes a light-emit-ting diode circuit, an optical giver, a shape-memory metal wire, a refrigerator magnet, adiffraction slide, and a 9-V battery. Kits areavailable through the Institute for ChemicalEducation (http://ice.chem.wisc.edu).

a

b

fe

Figure 3. Educational activities are an integral com-ponent of each Materials Research Science andEngineering Center (MRSEC).

(a)–(b) The MRSEC Research Experience forUndergraduates (REU) program introduces under-graduate students to the field of materials science.(a) Nagalingam Balakrishnan (left), a professor ofUnited Tribes Technical College, makes inverse opalswith Anna Gopher (right), a student from the UnitedTribes Technical College, and Andreas Stein (center),a University of Minnesota MRSEC research facultymember. (b) The Inverse Opal Photonic CrystalsLaboratory Guide contains step-by-step proceduresfor the synthesis of crystals based on macroporousmetal oxides. It is co-authored by Rick Schroden, agraduate student at the Minnesota MRSEC, andBalakrishnan. The guide is available for downloadingon the University of Minnesota MRSEC Web site,www.mrsec.umn.edu/mrsec/main.shtml.

(c)–(d) Princeton University Research Experiencefor Teachers (RET) participant Debbie Desser helpsstudents make a “model” atomic force microscopeusing a turntable. (c) Desser (left) showshow to adjust the laser pen to make itreflect from the probe onto the whiteboard. (d) Students attach the probe to theturntable arm. Currently, Desser is demon-strating at her school the use of an actualportable scanning tunneling microscopeusing a software program to study theatomic structure of graphite and gold sam-ples.

(e) Héctor D. Abruña, a member of theCornell Center for Materials Research,explores the nature of chemical reactions,using cornstarch and water, with children inthe Esperanza program in Ithaca, NewYork. The Esperanza program focuses onLatino students in kindergarten through the 6thgrade; lessons are conducted in Spanish.

c

d



Shared Experimental FacilitiesOne of the missions of each Materials Research Science and

Engineering Center (MRSEC) is to support shared experimentalfacilities that are properly staffed, equipped, and maintained.Naturally, the network of facilities boasts a wide range of process-ing tools, fabrication facilities, and materials characterization tech-niques. However, new trends in materials research have led to thecreation of shared computational facilities as well as laboratories formolecular and biochemical studies. On average, the centers commit16% of their budget for the shared experimental facilities. In manycases, the contribution from the MRSEC budget is only a fraction ofthe cost of maintaining and staffing a facility. By leveraging theMRSEC funds against those from other sources, state-of-the-art lab-oratories are provided that would not otherwise be possible.

These facilities are accessible not only to users from the center,but to users from other institutions and sectors. They also playimportant roles in many of the educational programs run by thecenters, as typically more than 50% of the users are graduate stu-dents and approximately 10% are undergraduate students. Thefacilities are often used for demonstrations in the education pro-grams. The balance of users is made up from other sectors includ-ing government and industry. This latter mix often provides thebasis for collaborations that might not otherwise have occurred.

To illustrate the types of collaborations encouraged by the cen-ters, here are a few of the numerous success stories: ■ Researchers at Lucent Technologies collaborated with scientistsin the Cornell University MRSEC to study transistor gatedielectrics. Using atomic-scale electron energy-loss spectroscopyin the ultrahigh-vacuum scanning transmission electronmicroscopy (UHV-STEM) facility, the researchers were able todemonstrate that the thinnest usable silicon dioxide gate dielectricis 0.7 nm, beyond which the material becomes conducting. Thisinformation is important because it places a fundamental lowerlimit on the size of silicon-based devices. ■ A focused ion-beam (FIB) system maintained by the University ofVirginia MRSEC is a hub of nanofabrication, materials characteriza-tion, and educational activities. Researchers at this MRSEC usedtheir FIB system to create a three-dimensional image detailing thenanoscale chemistry and structure of a high-temperature Ni-Alalloy developed by the General Electric Company. This image isillustrated in Figure 4a. In addition, an undergraduate student,Brandi Tregre, working with faculty advisors James Groves andJohn Bean at this MRSEC, developed a computer visualization ofthe fundamental operating principles of these FIB systems that isbeing used to train future generations of students.■ In a multi-institutional collaboration among Sandia NationalLaboratories, Carnegie Mellon University, the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, and the National Institute of Standardsand Technology, set up to study the microstructural origins ofinternal stresses in sintered alumina ceramics, researchers usedmicroscopy resources available at the Carnegie Mellon MRSEC togenerate input data needed for object-oriented simulations (seeFigures 4b and 4c). ■ As part of a collaboration between the Columbia UniversityMRSEC and International Paper, undergraduate student AndrewMiller was able to analyze surface properties by photoelectron spec-troscopy using the x-ray photoelectron spectrometer in the center’sshared facilities (see Figure 4d).

Thus, these shared facilities not only further materials research inindividual groups, but they also provide a strong catalyst for collab-oration. Those interested in using such facilities are encouraged toexamine the MRSEC Web site (www.mrsec.org) as well as the linkslisted there for the individual universities.

Figure 4. Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers(MRSECs) support shared experimental facilities in which differ-ent types of research collaborations occur. (a) Courtesy of theUniversity of Virginia MRSEC: three-dimensional secondary-electron reconstruction of the nanostructure of the γ’ phase in aNi-based superalloy. The spatial resolution of this technique isabout 20 nm, and the reconstructed volume contains severalmillion independently measured data points.

(b)–(c) Residual-stress distribution in sintered alumina afterthe temperature is decreased by 1500°C. (b) An orientationmap of the microstructure, with the grain normals given by thecolors in the stereographic triangle. (c) Calculated maximumprincipal stresses in the same area. Courtesy of the CarnegieMellon University MRSEC.

(d) Columbia MRSEC undergraduate student Andrew Millerworks with the x-ray photoelectron spectrometer in theColumbia University MRSEC shared experimental laboratory.Photo courtesy of J. Cross and I. Herman.

b c

a

d


that could be of interest to them. In par-ticular, the use of shared facilities oftenprovides a way to stimulate researchbetween different groups, since that useoften brings researchers to the MRSECsites. It is hoped that this article will serveas an introduction to these centers andwill stimulate further collaboration.

AcknowledgmentsI was asked to author this article in my

capacity as the 2001–2002 chair of theMRSEC directors. Thus, almost all of theinformation presented here was suppliedby directors of the individual centers. Iwish to thank them all for their coopera-tion and support in preparing this article.I would like to especially thank Pro-fessors Michael Ward of the University ofMinnesota, Ravindra Bhatt of PrincetonUniversity, Juan DePablo of the Uni-versity of Wisconsin, and Gregory Rohrerof Carnegie Mellon University, whoprovided excellent drafts of sections ofthis article and Prof. Frank DiSalvo ofCornell University for critically readingthe manuscript. I would also like to thankDrs. Carmen Huber, Ulrich Strom, andJoanna McKittrick of NSF for their helpwith the preparation. Finally, I would liketo thank, on behalf of all of the MRSECdirectors, Mr. Thomas Baldwin of CornellUniversity for his work on the MRSECWeb site mentioned in this article.

Clyde Briant is the Otis E. RandallUniversity Professor and Professor of Engi-neering at Brown University. Prior to joiningBrown in 1994, he worked for 18 years at theGeneral Electric Research and DevelopmentCenter as a staff metallurgist. He currentlyserves as director of the Brown UniversityMaterials Research Science and EngineeringCenter and also the Center for AdvancedMaterials at Brown. He recently completedhis term as chair of the MRSEC directors(2001–2002).


National Laboratories

Table II: Representative Industries and National Laboratories Participating in MRSEC Research.

Companies

Argonne Battelle Pacific NorthwestBrookhavenLawrence Livermore LaboratoriesLos AlamosNational Institute of Standards and Technology

Abbott LaboratoriesAdvanced Surface TechnologyAdvantica StonerAffymetrixAgilentAKMAlcoaAldrichAllegheny TeledyneAllied SignalAmerican SuperconductorsAMGENApplied MaterialsArryx, Inc.ATMLBASFBP-AmocoBayerCandescent Technology Corp.CaterpillarCheil IndustriesClorox Technical CenterConfluent PhotonicsCorningCortland LineCrystal ISDelta F. Corp.Dow ChemicalDow CorningDraper LaboratoryDupontEagle Picher TechnologiesEastman ChemicalEastman KodakElectricited de FranceElf-AtochemEnglehardEpitaxxExxon ChemicalExxon MobilFEI CompanyFinaFordGEGenpakGenzymeGilletteH.C. Starck HerculesHewlett-Packard AgilentHilord ChemicalHoechst-CelaneseHyperionIBMIGENImplant SciencesIMREIntelligent Fiber Optic SystemsJohnson & JohnsonKawasaki Steel

LEGO DactaLincoln LabsLiquid Metal Corp.Lockheed MartinLord CorporationLucent TechnologiesLumiLeds/HPMechanical ResourcesMicro Precision BearingsMilliporeMitsubishi ResearchMolecular GeodesicsMotorolaMSI, Inc.NECNexia BiotechnologyNippon SteelNorthrup-GrummannPointNVE, Inc.Ontario HydroOsram SylvaniaPechiney (France)Photonic Data SystemsPolaroidPolysciences, Inc.Praxair Spray SystemsQ-SenseQuantum CorporationRetlaw, Inc.Reveo, Inc.RhodiaRockwell-BoeingRockwell Science CenterRohm and HaasSamsungSchenectady InternationalSchlumberger DollSckisui Chemical Co., Ltd.Seagate TechnologySensors UnlimitedSermatechShipley Co.Siemans WestinghouseSouthwest Research InstituteSt. Gobain-NortonSulzer-MetcoSurface LogixSYMYX TechnologiesTotalFinaElfTSLU.S. SteelUnilever PLCUniroyal United TechnologiesUniversal DisplayWestinghouse BettisXeroxXerox PARC

Naval Research LaboratoryOak RidgeSandiaNational Research Council (Canada)Risoe (Denmark)

. . . access theMaterials Research Society

Web site:

w w w. m r s . o r g / g a t e w a y /m a t l _ n e w s . h t m l

FFOOR RR REESSEARCEARCH NH NEWSEWSOONN

MAMATETERRIALIALS SCS SCII EENNCCE . . . E . . .

www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin

Up Close: Materials - MRSEC to determine how heat treatments ... aries. With the ability to ......

Documents

Transcript of Up Close: Materials - MRSEC to determine how heat treatments ... aries. With the ability to ......