Redesigning the transistor at the atomic-scale. Australian researchers have a world-wide leadership position in atomic-scale electronics. Through the development of powerful new fabrication technologies, Australian scientists are now poised to uncover the physical properties of electronic systems operating on the atomic-scale. This research will be internationally significant, providing ongoing international profile for Australian science. Perhaps more significantly, it will also lay the groundw ....Redesigning the transistor at the atomic-scale. Australian researchers have a world-wide leadership position in atomic-scale electronics. Through the development of powerful new fabrication technologies, Australian scientists are now poised to uncover the physical properties of electronic systems operating on the atomic-scale. This research will be internationally significant, providing ongoing international profile for Australian science. Perhaps more significantly, it will also lay the groundwork for future miniaturisation - and redesign - of the conventional transistor. Over the longer-term, it offers an opportunity for Australia to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Fundamental conduction mechanisms in atomic-scale silicon devices. This proposal will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of worldwide research into atomic-scale electronics. It links leading nanotechnologists from Canada and Italy to a dynamic and growing Australian team, which already has strong collaborations with researchers in the UK, the US, Japan, and Taiwan. In the long-run, Australia stands to benefit indirectly from the research as it is a significant user of semiconductors ....Fundamental conduction mechanisms in atomic-scale silicon devices. This proposal will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of worldwide research into atomic-scale electronics. It links leading nanotechnologists from Canada and Italy to a dynamic and growing Australian team, which already has strong collaborations with researchers in the UK, the US, Japan, and Taiwan. In the long-run, Australia stands to benefit indirectly from the research as it is a significant user of semiconductors across all major industries. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers will face over their long-term horizons, the proposed research also seeks to provide Australia with a chance to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Three Dimensional Integrated Circuits. Pushing the boundaries of current silicon fabrication technology, this proposal will investigate the possibilities of new 3D architectures to ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of world-wide research into atomic-scale electronics. It creates an important link to the latest technologies in atomistic device modelling in the US, developed at Texas Instruments. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers are c ....Three Dimensional Integrated Circuits. Pushing the boundaries of current silicon fabrication technology, this proposal will investigate the possibilities of new 3D architectures to ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of world-wide research into atomic-scale electronics. It creates an important link to the latest technologies in atomistic device modelling in the US, developed at Texas Instruments. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers are currently facing, and will face over their long-term horizons, the proposed research also seeks to provide Australia with a chance to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Insight and understanding in Rare-Earth magnetism. Today's technologically driven society relies on magnetic materials to an extent unimaginable even as recently as 20 years ago. Rare-earth transition-metal intermetallics are among the most important magnetic materials, providing the World's strongest magnet with extensive applications. Despite these impressive technological and commercial developments numerous aspects of rare-earth magnetism remain to be developed and resolved. The two innovati ....Insight and understanding in Rare-Earth magnetism. Today's technologically driven society relies on magnetic materials to an extent unimaginable even as recently as 20 years ago. Rare-earth transition-metal intermetallics are among the most important magnetic materials, providing the World's strongest magnet with extensive applications. Despite these impressive technological and commercial developments numerous aspects of rare-earth magnetism remain to be developed and resolved. The two innovative topics we shall research are the critical interplay between the rare-earth and transition-metal sublattices in ternary compounds, enabling us to understand complex compounds, and exploration of a set of quaternary compounds we have recently discovered, thus opening new areas of rare-earth magnetism.Read moreRead less
Nanoclusters with Extraordinary Properties Made out of Ordinary Materials. Ultrafast laser deposition - a process pioneered by the Applicants - has already demonstrated record yields in the production of carbon-based nano-clustered materials with better control over the size of the nano-particles than any other process. This project aims to improve fundamental understanding of the ultra-fast laser deposition method of nano-fabrication through theoretical and experimental studies, which accurate ....Nanoclusters with Extraordinary Properties Made out of Ordinary Materials. Ultrafast laser deposition - a process pioneered by the Applicants - has already demonstrated record yields in the production of carbon-based nano-clustered materials with better control over the size of the nano-particles than any other process. This project aims to improve fundamental understanding of the ultra-fast laser deposition method of nano-fabrication through theoretical and experimental studies, which accurately correlate the ablation conditions to the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of resulting nano-particles. The results will be applied to efficiently produce nano-clustered materials with tuneable properties for a wide range of new technologies such as spintronics, biophotonics, and nanoclinics.Read moreRead less
Hydrogen Absorption by Nanostructured Carbons. Carbon-based materials show great promise for clean energy storage through the absorption and desorption of hydrogen. The project aims to use powerful theoretical and experimental methods to resolve the controversy that surrounds reports of massive hydrogen absorption by nanostructured carbons, by understanding why particular structures should or should not absorb hydrogen atoms or molecules. We will particularly study and model intercalated graphit ....Hydrogen Absorption by Nanostructured Carbons. Carbon-based materials show great promise for clean energy storage through the absorption and desorption of hydrogen. The project aims to use powerful theoretical and experimental methods to resolve the controversy that surrounds reports of massive hydrogen absorption by nanostructured carbons, by understanding why particular structures should or should not absorb hydrogen atoms or molecules. We will particularly study and model intercalated graphite and nanotubes made in Australia. Their hydrogen capacity will be compared to the US DOE target of 6.5 weight percent for viable automotive hydrogen fuel storage. Reproducibly exceeding this target would constitute a great advance in the field.Read moreRead less
High-energy electron scattering of surfaces: new spectroscopies and new physics. Electrons sometimes behave as particles, and sometimes as waves. Both aspects are used when investigating nano-structures with electron beams. In this research program we design and perform experiments to measure sample composition using the particle nature, and the atom positions by using the wave nature of electrons. These novel experiments, using unique spectrometers designed and developed in Australia, are aime ....High-energy electron scattering of surfaces: new spectroscopies and new physics. Electrons sometimes behave as particles, and sometimes as waves. Both aspects are used when investigating nano-structures with electron beams. In this research program we design and perform experiments to measure sample composition using the particle nature, and the atom positions by using the wave nature of electrons. These novel experiments, using unique spectrometers designed and developed in Australia, are aimed at making new forms of electron microscopy possible, but will also result in a better understanding of existing electron microscopies and synchrotron-based measurements.Read moreRead less
Nanocrystalline Processing of Polycrystalline Ceramics Exhibiting the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. Piezoelectric materials interconvert electric and mechanical energy. They have been incorporated into a wide range of industrial, medical and domestic applications. The newest, known as PZN-PTs, are only available as single crystals. They have ten times the response of conventional piezoelectric materials, however they are expensive, mechanically fragile and have shape limitations. This project will ....Nanocrystalline Processing of Polycrystalline Ceramics Exhibiting the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. Piezoelectric materials interconvert electric and mechanical energy. They have been incorporated into a wide range of industrial, medical and domestic applications. The newest, known as PZN-PTs, are only available as single crystals. They have ten times the response of conventional piezoelectric materials, however they are expensive, mechanically fragile and have shape limitations. This project will tailor nanostructured intermediate states that will allow the production of stronger, more versatile polycrystalline PZN-PT ceramics. It will develop scientific results on nanocrystalline processing applicable to many materials and allow deeper insight into the mechanism of the anomalous piezoelectric response of these materials.Read moreRead less
Structural Origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectrics. This project addresses fundamental questions about the origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. The solution of these questions will be will raise the profile of Australian science in this area as well as allowing new directions to be explored both in modifying existing materials and seeking new ones. It will expand the pool of personnel with experience in the synthesis and diffraction based study of these material ....Structural Origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectrics. This project addresses fundamental questions about the origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. The solution of these questions will be will raise the profile of Australian science in this area as well as allowing new directions to be explored both in modifying existing materials and seeking new ones. It will expand the pool of personnel with experience in the synthesis and diffraction based study of these materials which are slated for inclusion in large numbers of 'Smart' technologies. The training of personnel in advanced diffraction methods is important in the lead up to the new Australian research reactor OPAL in 2006 and the new Australian synchrotron in 2007.Read moreRead less
Combustion Synthesis of Ternary Carbides. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a group of ternary carbides that exhibit an exciting combination of the high temperature properties of ceramics, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, however a cost effective large scale synthesis method has been lacking. Combustion synthesis, which uses the heat of reaction as the primary energy source, has great potential for this purpose. This program ....Combustion Synthesis of Ternary Carbides. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a group of ternary carbides that exhibit an exciting combination of the high temperature properties of ceramics, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, however a cost effective large scale synthesis method has been lacking. Combustion synthesis, which uses the heat of reaction as the primary energy source, has great potential for this purpose. This program will use advanced in-situ neutron diffraction experiments to map and quantify combustion synthesis reactions in the Ti-Si-C system and related systems. The results of these studies will be used to design methods of production for Ti3SiC2 and related materials.Read moreRead less