Team develops a microwave-assisted method for producing thin films
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 13:40
in Physics & Chemistry
Growth of new materials is the cornerstone of materials science - a highly inter-disciplinary field of science that touches every aspect of our lives from computers and cell phones to the clothes we wear. At the same time, the energy crisis has brought the spotlight on synthesis and growth of materials for clean energy technologies, such as solar cells and batteries. However, researchers in these areas do not simply grow materials —they assemble the atoms and molecules that form so-called thin films on various substrates. It is a process that is highly complex, time-consuming and requires significantly high temperatures.