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CIFM
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Laboratory for Advanced Materials Science and Technology (LAMSAT)
The Laboratory for Advanced Materials Science and Technology
(LAMSAT) was founded in the Department of Physics at USF in 1992 and
is co-directed by Professors Pritish Mukherjee and Sarath Witanachchi.
Research at the laboratory explores innovations in pulsed laser
ablation and plasma processes for the growth of thin films and
nanoparticles of technologically significant materials. These
include superhard materials, magnetic materials, thermoelectric
materials, multiferroics, superconductors, and compound semiconductors
for solar cells. Novel optical techniques for high-resolution,
in-situ plasma imaging and the development of new laser-assisted
plasma growth processes including microwave plasma and laser-assisted
spray pyrolysis are being investigated. The research encompasses thin
film-growth, nanostructures, in-situ dynamic optical process
diagnostics, thin-film analysis, characterization, and process modeling
leading to the fabrication of single-layer, hetero-structure, and
multi-layer devices.
For example, NSF and DOE sponsored research projects have focused on
the application of a patented dual-laser ablation process developed in
this laboratory to grow large-area, particulate-free films.
Applications have included thin-films of type-I clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30 for thermoelectric material investigations, both Cu(InGa)Se2
and ZnO for solar-cell applications, and diamond and diamond-like
carbon structures for MEMS applications. An NSF- funded project
developed a hybrid process where chemical self-assembly and physical
vapor deposition techniques were combined to grow vertically aligned
nano-grained films of superhard materials. Current U.S.
DoD-funded research at LAMSAT, in concert with the Center for Integrated
Functional Materials (CIFM) at USF Physics, is directed at the
generation of new nano-structured materials for biomedical diagnostics
and chemical sensing, and multifunctional composites for communication
and energy applications. Research at LAMSAT is also a key
contributor to the Florida Cluster for Advanced Smart Sensor
Technologies (FCASST), a joint USF Physics/UF MSE initiative that
commenced in 2011.
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