The MIC Project
I am currently overseeing the establishment of a new experimental infrastructure: the Materials Innovation Cluster (MIC).
The MIC will operate as a user facility dedicated to thin film deposition and in situ characterization.
A 15 m long UHV tunnel connects 10 satellite chambers for thin film growth (PLD, PED, and sputtering), in situ characterizations (NAP-XPS, DRIFS, STM, ARPES, RHEED, LAXS, MOSS, and impedance spectroscopy), and a glove box (sample manipulation, direct laser writing micro-patterning, probe station for electrical characterizations).
Education:
- Associate Professor Habilitation in Experimental Solid State Physics, (2013, Area 02/B1) Ministry for Education, University and Research of Italy
- Ph.D. in Materials Science, University of Genova, Italy, 2004, Department of Physics.
- Laurea in Fisica, University of Genova, Italy, 1999, Department of Physics.
Experience:
- Senior Scientist, Paul Scherrer Insitut, holding a shared post with the NUM and ENE Division, based in the Thin Films and Interfaces Group, Prof. Thomas Lippert, since 2012
- Scientist, International Research Centre for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan. (2009-2012)
- Scientist, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Genova, Italy. (2008)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) and University of Roma Tor Vergata (Roma, Italy). (2006-2007)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institute for Nuclear Physics and University of Genova, Genova, Italy. (2004-2006)
Expertise:
- Thin film deposition technology, fabrication of epitaxial films and multilayered heterostructures.
- Structural, morphological and electrical characterization of materials.
- High temperature oxygen-ion and proton conducting oxides, correlation between nanostructure and charge transport properties.
- Oxynitride materials for photophoto-electrochemical water splitting.
- Fabrication and characterization of cryogenic thermal detectors for high energy resolution x-ray spectroscopy.
- Sub-Kelvin cryogenic technology.
Publications: