Arthur B. Ellis - US grants

This research focuses on one of the most critical and difficult issues in the field of high temperature superconductors; the role of grain boundaries as current limiting structures in bulk and thin film materials. This research will provide a detailed study of weak links, grain boundary structure and composition as well as surface properties of high temperature superconductors. The weak link investigations focus on single grain boundaries in polycrystalline bulk materials, and will employ thinned samples for which the critical current can be probed locally and the grain boundaries to their structure and composition. Complementary surface characterization work using synchrotron radiation techniques will also be carried out. This research is potentially of great strategic importance and could provide enabling technology for commercial applications of bulk high temperature superconducting materials.

The photoluminesence of II-VI or III-V semiconductor is used to identify reversible adsorption of molecules on semiconductor surfaces. These interactions are interpreted in terms of the steric and electronic landscape of the semiconductor surface. The studies are extended to the fabrication and development of robust, real-time, in-situ monitors of the gas-phase composition in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process streams. These sensors are based on photoluminescence, photoconductivity, or ungated field-effect transitor (FET) design, take advantage of the changes in the work function of the semiconductor on reversible adsorption. Using multisensor arrays, a complement of CVD precursors is monitored simultaneously. Optimization and testing of sensors is done in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory. Improves quality control in the production by CVD of complex electronic materials is the key to an improved competitive position in these key materials. Achievement of this is hampered by a lack of monitoring devices that give a picture of what is happening in the CVD process. This project attacks this issue directly, aiming at real-time sensors that are suitable for use in automated or manual control systems. This award is part of the Materials Synthesis and Processing Initiative.

A materials-oriented approach to chemistry is being developed through the preparation of "A Materials Chemistry Companion to General Chemistry", by an ad hoc committee of two dozen leading chemistry researchers and teachers. Consisting of text, problem sets, model kits, software, videotapes, demonstration and laboratory experiments, the "Companion" is scheduled for publication by the American Chemical Society in 1993. The "Companion" will demonstrate how virtually every topic typically covered in introductory chemistry courses can be illustrated with solids such as polymers, semiconductors, metals, superconductors, and ceramics. The project focuses both on innovation - the completion of material for the "Companion" - and on change - the implementation of a national strategy for assimilating materials chemistry into introductory chemistry courses. Strategies for effecting change include national testing of the "Companion" at over two dozen volunteering college test sites (more than 15,000 students); development of modules based on the "Companion" and their use in workshops for college and pre-college teachers; and critical evaluation of the instructional materials. The "Companion" and supporting activities will revitalize general chemistry courses, enhance the scientific literacy of students and teachers, and increase the number and diversity of high-quality students electing to pursue careers as chemists, chemistry teachers, scientists and engineers.

9450615 Treichel A consortium led by the Chemistry Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will develop a new chemistry curriculum that will have three major components: integrating general, analytical, and organic chemistry into a two-year sequence built around a topic-oriented approach; introducing active-learning techniques such as cooperative group learning, discovery learning, and computer-aided instruction into all courses throughout the curriculum; and developing a variety of intellectual tools that students can apply effectively to significant problems, and that can be packaged and disseminated to a variety of institutions. A large number of individuals representing a wide variety of types of institutions will participate in a curriculum planning conference that will generate a large set of ideas from which specific curriculum reforms can be developed. In two subsequent workshops a smaller group will select the best of these ideas and develop a plan for comprehensive curriculum reform. UW-Madison's tradition of commitment and excellence in undergraduate chemistry education, our ability to attract many excellent chemists/educators as participants in the planning conference, and our established means of dissemination make us uniquely suited to carry out curriculum reform.

This award is jointly supported by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). It provides funding for a workshop on improving undergraduate education in the mathematical and physical sciences through use of technology. The workshop will be held July 20-22, 1999 in Arlington, VA and will involve approximately ninety participants well versed in research and undergraduate education in the MPS disciplines and in the use of technology in those settings. Under the direction of Professor Arthur Ellis of the University of Wisconsin and a broadly informed external steering committee, the workshop will seek to identify current effective practices in the use of technology in undergraduate MPS education; research in MPS that benefits the development of technology for undergraduate education in the MPS disciplines; challenges and opportunities to enhance learning in the MPS disciplines through the effective use of technology; strategies to engage the MPS community in the more effective use of technology in undergraduate education; and mechanisms to ensure access to effective technologies by all genre of institutions. Also to be addressed by the workshop are implications that technology-assisted learning has for the integration of research and education; K-12 teacher education and continued professional development; increased participation and success of groups underrepresented in the MPS disciplines; and increased scientific literacy for all citizens.

The report from this workshop is expected to provide important guidance to the effective utilization of technology in undergraduate education in the MPS disciplines.

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Ellis
The goal of this Engineering Microsystems: "XYZ" on a Chip project will develop chemical sensors and biosensors for nondestructive analyte detection in aqueous solution from micron-scale Ill-V semiconductor die chips that are commonly used in the construction of LEDs and photovoltaic cells. Preliminary experiments have demonstrated that both the photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) of these multi layer structures respond reversibly and robustly to amino acids in buffered aqueous solution. In Phase One of the project, die chips grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) will be prepared with varying layer dimensions and chemical compositions in order to optimize EL and PL responses to a variety of aqueous test analytes, including amino acids, oligopeptides, and (metallo)porphyrins. Coatings will be applied to the surfaces of the die chips to enhance the selectivity of the response to certain anal ytes. In Phase Two, self-aligned structures will be prepared by chemically etching a trench of micron-scale width into the die chip. One side of this trench-divided structure can be placed in forward bias, yielding EL, and the other side of the structure can be placed in reverse bias to detect the EL as photocurrent. This creates a self-aligned integrated LED/Detector structure. Adsorption of aqueous analytes onto the uncoated or coated trench walls of these structures will be determined as a function of concentration and in the presence of various dissolved gases. Use of the structure for spectrophotometric analysis will be investigated. Numerical modeling of the electro-optical responses will guide the optimized construction of these integrated sensors. In Phase Three, a 5x5 array of the self-aligned LED/Detector structures will be prepared, and fluid flow of analyte solutions will be modeled. By using different coatings on the array elements, a multicomponent analysis of a mixture of analytes will be undertaken to demonstrate the versatility of the sensor structure. A variation of the sensor based on diode lasers will be investigated. Graduate and undergraduate students participating in this project will benefit from exposure to interdisciplinary research with sensor-driven applications that embrace chemistry and biochemistry, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering. A base of instructional materials derived from the materials and devices employed in this work will be expanded, and a website for the project developed.

This project aims to create and disseminate instructional materials on nanoscale science and technology for use in undergraduate science and engineering curricula. A text, demonstrations, and laboratory experiments are being developed around the themes of nanoparticles, nanoporous materials, and nanoarchitectures. Examples of nanoparticles include colloidal metals, ferrofluids, semiconductor quantum dots, and artificial atoms. Nanoporous materials include aerogels, dendrimers, micelles, and zeolites. Nanoarchitectures focuses on nanotubes, amorphous metals and quasicrystals, giant magnetoresistance (GMR) structures, LEDs/diode lasers, self-assembly, and surface reconstruction. Collectively, these products illustrate the importance of surface effects, the limitations of scaling laws, and the onset of quantum effects as nanoscale dimensions are approached. They also demonstrate the tools and techniques required for nanoscale studies, including scanning probe microscopies, lithographic and contact printing techniques, and mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic characterization of materials and devices. The project is being conducted with assistance from experts from academia, industry, and national laboratories, and with resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison NSF-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces. The inherently interdisciplinary themes of nanoscale science and technology will be adapted for use in a variety of science, mathematics, engineering and echnology (SMET) classes through a pair of workshops. The first workshop aims to acquaint leading individuals from various SMET disciplines with the materials being developed so as to customize them for use across disciplines. The second workshop aims to introduce publishers and textbook writers to the materials. In addition to publications, products, and presentations, dissemination involves partnerships with www.SMETE.ORG, a Core Integration project of the NSF National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library (NSDL); and with the University of Wisconsin System, through its Department of Defense-supported Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Collaborative Laboratory. A collection of web-based learning objects is being created from the instructional materials that will be readily accessible, adaptable, and affordable. Field testing is an integral part of the project and includes volunteers from the full spectrum of post-secondary institutions. Evaluation of the project is being conducted using a variety of tools and techniques. Project participants include undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctorals, who have the opportunity to contribute to this integration of cutting-edge research and education. The project aims to enhance science literacy and help attract a diverse group of talented undergraduates to technical careers and to teaching careers.

This IPSE award, funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, involves a partnership between Materials Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces at UW-Madison (UW) and the Discovery World (DW) science museum in Milwaukee aimed at bringing cutting-edge research on advanced materials and nanoscale science and technology into the museum and K-12 school settings. This multi-faceted project will enable Internships for Public Science Education (IPSE) participants to enhance their communication skills substantially while bringing the excitement of state-of-the-art MRSEC research themes to pre-college and public audiences. Through the IPSE program, a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students will team with UW MRSEC researchers, DW personnel, and K-12 educators to develop grade-appropriate curriculum materials.
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Initially, laboratory experiments and demonstrations will be developed around existing MRSEC-created education products, making the materials science and engineering concepts associated with such advanced materials as ferrofluids, shape memory alloys, and amorphous metals accessible. New initiatives will create instructional materials for DW and K-12 teachers and students around he current research themes of fullerenes, nanotubes, and Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR). A new module teaching students about polymers in chemical engineering using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) will be produced. An innovative museum program, the Test Pilot Training Program (TPTP), will link IPSE participants with middle and high school students to provide mentoring on scientific themes and career development related to materials science and engineering. These pre-college students will serve as ambassadors for DW, making presentations at DW and local schools, and assisting with the training of newly recruited TPTP participants. Nearly 50 graduate and undergraduate students will participate over the three-year project period. Program results will be disseminated through meetings and publications of professional disciplinary and pan-disciplinary organizations, workshops for regional K-12 teachers that will be held as part of the project, and a workshop held in partnership with the Association for Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). Formal evaluations of the program's impact on museum visitors and on the IPSE participants will be conducted. The UW-DW IPSE project can serve as a model for the professional development of technically oriented students, providing them with rich opportunities for sharing their scientific knowledge and enthusiasm with pre-college and museum audiences. This will enhance the communication skills of IPSE participants while also making the public and K-12 teachers and students aware of exciting research developments. The project will thus contribute to science literacy and to the development of a diverse, technically trained workforce.

Abstract
CTS-0203182
A. Ellis, University of Wisconsin-Madison


The proposal is for travel support for the speakers at the EC-NSF workshop on "Nanotechnology - Revolutionary Opportunities and Societal Implications" to be held in Lecce, Italy on January 31-February 1, 2002. The workshop will involve approximately 16 U.S. speakers and poster presenters and about the same number from the European Commission (EC). The workshop is a part of a series of four workshops on nanotechnology organized by NSF and EC in 2002. The objectives are to evaluate new trends in research and education, to exchange information among leading research centers in both countries, and to promote the exchange of researchers and establishment of joint projects.

Given the rapid expansion of Nanotechnology and the significant impact it has on products and services in the society, it is important to periodically examine and explore opportunities and implications on broad societal impacts.