Netherlands - University of Twente PhD Position in Wettability Control of Patterned Surfaced

We offer a Ph.D.-student position in the Solid State Physics group (SSP) of the
University of Twente.

The research of SSP is an integral part of the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology. Well-defined morphological patterns and functional patterned molecular coatings will be studied to improve control of the wettability of surfaces. Both the macroscopic and microscopic features of such structures and their collaborative effects will be studied. The molecular coatings for wetting control will be applied by two different techniques, microcontact printing and shadow-mask evaporation. Both the influence of the length scale and the anisotropy of the patterns on the macroscopic wettability are of interest. The combination of length scales in the micron range with those in the nanometer range is promising for gaining improved wettability control, especially in gradient patterned surfaces. Nanometer sized structure will be implemented by means of ion beam induced erosion, both in 0D (dots) and 1D (stripes).

This project aims at a fundamental investigation of the interrelationships between roughness and functional coating. The laboratory scale experiments will be performed with mainly optical tools (ADSA-P and interference microscopy), combined with high-resolution microscopy (AFM and possibly LEEM). The findings are thought to be relevant for application in high-tech printing technology.

Organisation:
University of Twente, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology The MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Twente trains graduate students and PhD-students and conducts interdisciplinary research in the fields of nanotechnology, microsystems, materials science and microelectronics.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Continue Reading 4 comments December 4th, 2006