Singh Seminar Series: Nelly Zhang and Brandon McClimon

Engineering Microstructure for Tunable Electrical Properties in Ultra-Thin AlScN

Speaker: Nelly Zhang

Abstract: Ferroelectric aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN) has emerged as a promising material for next-generation non-volatile memory due to its CMOS compatibility, scalability, and robust polarization properties. In this seminar, I will present our work on ultra-thin AlScN films for energy-efficient ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM) applications, with a particular focus on the relationship between microstructure and device performance. Using a combination of electrical characterization and advanced structural analysis, we identify how lattice mismatch and point defects influence ferroelectricity in ultra-thin AlScN films. These insights provide guidance for optimizing ultra-thin ferroelectric materials toward low-power, high-density memory applications.

About the Speaker: Nelly is a third-year PhD, working with Professor Eric Stach and Professor Troy Olsson. She began her research on ultra-thin ferroelectric AlScN films as a master’s student and has continued this work into her PhD. Her research focuses on developing energy-efficient ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM) devices for artificial intelligence and data storage applications, as well as understanding how material microstructure, such as strain gradients and point defects, influences memory performance. She is an independent researcher who enjoys presenting her work as a compelling story and always welcomes people from different fields to engage with her research.

Capabilities of VLEST User Facility Instrumentation

Speaker: Brandon McClimon

Abstract: This talk will provide an overview of instrumentation associated with the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) core user facility. The instrument capabilities include thermal analysis with thermogravimetric analysis/mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS) and dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology with a shear rheometer, and optical spectroscopy with infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. We will discuss the specifications and capabilities of the instruments illustrated with example applications. The imminent acquisition of an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) combined with scanning Auger spectroscopy will also be discussed.

About the Speaker: Brandon McClimon is the VLEST core user facility manager. Brandon obtained his PhD at UPenn in the group of Robert Carpick, utilizing atomic force microscopy, XPS, and other techniques to understand the friction and wear of diamond-like carbon films. He also performed a postdoc at UPenn studying rock friction relevant to earthquake nucleation and the biotribology of mucin-containing solutions. Prior to UPenn, Brandon obtained a masters degree at University of Virginia studying the electronic properties of carbon fullerenes modified by tungsten using scanning tunneling microscopy, was a nuclear engineer at Cook nuclear plant in Bridgman, MI, and a naval officer on the nuclear submarine USS Asheville.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Singh Center for Nanotechnology