Our focus so far has been on developing new chemistry to create new materials and structures. We are unique in fabricating complex oxide structures, compounds with alkali metals, and materials where organic molecules are part of the structure (MOF materials). Our targets include new materials for electronics, batteries, sensors, porous membranes, solar energy harvesting, bioactive surfaces, and much more.
As a master's student, you can choose your focus based on your background and interests. You may concentrate on synthesis, characterization and application, or a combination of all. Do you enjoy wet chemistry at the lab bench? Are you interested in studying crystal structures with advanced X-ray equipment? Curious about programming or applying the materials in practical uses?
A master's thesis often involves substantial lab work including synthesis and characterization. We help integrate you into a group environment where everyone supports one another. The goal is for you to become independent, daring to attempt and learn from mistakes in a safe setting, and develop your own thinking. A master's thesis culminates in a written dissertation. We, as supervisors, provide close and prompt support, and we urge you to start writing your thesis early on.
We have compiled a selection of potential master's thesis topics below, all with thin films as a common component in one form or another. Most projects can vary in focus between fabrication and characterization based on the interests of you, the master's student.
Oxide-Based Heterostructures with ALD (Henrik H. Sønsteby)
Over time, we have demonstrated that the ALD technique is well-suited for depositing complex oxides, which are compounds with more than one cation. We are currently world leaders in this area and are systematically working to showcase superior qualities in heterostructures. A master's thesis on complex oxides will focus on multilayer structures of perovskite oxides to control the electronic properties of the material. These are materials and combinations that we believe will play a part in tomorrow's oxide-based electronics, potentially revolutionizing how computers function. The work will focus on exploring growth and understanding how various reactants interact during deposition. Films will be deposited on single-crystal substrates to promote epitaxial growth. Such structures will be characterized using XRD and synchrotron-based beams at ESRF or other beamlines, as well as potential TEM studies at UiO. Depending on your focus and skills, you will naturally delve deeper into one or two of the techniques, with X-ray based structural analysis being a natural technique for you. At the same time, you will utilize most of the mentioned techniques, along with surface characterization with AFM and compositional analysis using XRF and/or XPS.
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Figure: High-Quality Epitaxial Growth of LaNiO3 on SrTiO3 Fabricated with ALD