Biography
He is an expert on several scientific and technological fields, including ion beam, plasma, and laser interactions with materials, the science and technology of multicomponent oxide and diamond and nanocarbon thin films and applications to multifunctional devices (MEMS/NEMs, biomedical devices and biosensors). He was one of the developers of the unique multifunctional ultrananocrystalline diamond film invented and patented at Argonne and now commercialized through Advanced Diamond Technology, Inc, a company co-founded by O.Auciello, J.A. Carlisle and N. Kane in 2003. Auciello has more than 450 publications, 12 books, and 18 patents. He is an Associate Editor of Integrated Ferroelectrics and Applied Physics Letters and Member of the Editorial Board of Vacuum (International Journal) and the Journal of Materials. Auciello has received several Awards and honors, including: Named Fellow of the AAAS and the MRS (2009), 2008 University of Chicago Distinguished Performance Award, 2006 Federal Laboratory Consortium Award (for breakthrough transfer of ultrananocrystallilne diamond (UNCD) film technology from a national laboratory to the market via creation of Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc), 2003 Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Award (for outstanding technical accomplishments in the general field of science and technology of thin films), 2003 and 2008 R&D 100 Awards, 2002 International Symposium of Integrated Ferroelectrics Outstanding Achievement Award.
Abstract
Science and Technology of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Films and Application to Multifunctional Devices
A new paradigm in materials science and integration and new device architectures is underway to develop a new generation of macro to nanoscale multifunctional devices. A review will be presented on the status of the UNCD film technology developed and patented at Argonne National Laboratory. The UNCD material has been developed in thin film form and exhibit multifunctionalities applicable to a broad range of macro to nanoscale multifunctional devices.
UNCD thin films are grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition or hot filament chemical vapor deposition using novel patented Ar-rich/CH4 plasma chemistries or H2/CH4 chemistries. More recently, our group demonstrated the synthesis of UNCD films via a new low-pressure bias-enhanced nucleation and growth process. All these processes produce films with 2-5 nm grain size (thus the trade name UNCD). In addition to the synthesis of UNCD films, we recently demonstrated a novel integration of UNCD with metal oxide piezoelectric thin films that enables a new generation of hybrid piezo/diamond heterostructures for low-voltage, piezoactuated, high-performance diamond-based MEMS/NEMS devices.
The UNCD films exhibit exceptional mechanical, tribological, chemical, electrical, electron emission, and biocompatible properties, which enable application from macro to nanoascale multifunctional devices, such as: 1) Coatings for mechanical pumps seals with orders of magnitude longer lifetime and lower friction coefficient than any other materials for seals in the market today (UNCD coated SiC mechanical pump seals have been introduced into the market in 2008 by Advanced Diamond Technology); 2) field emission cathodes for field emission displays, high-frequency tubes, x-ray sources and more; 3) RF MEMS/NEMS resonators and switches for wireless communications and radar systems, 4) NEMS devices; 5) Biomedical devices (e.g., bioinert coating for encapsulation of a microchip implantable in the retina to restore sight to people blinded by retina degeneration - this application is being developed under the top artificial retina program worldwide, funded by DOE in USA, and UNCD tribological coating with low friction and negligible wear for prosthesis – knees, hips, heart valves); 6) biosensors; 7) UNCD as a platform for developmental biology, involving the growth of cells on the surface and potential differentiation; 8) UNCD as a platform for growth of multi-element/multifunctional nanowires; and 9) Science and technology of novel UNCD nanowires. The UNCD film technology has been proven to be truly multifunctional, which enables a broad range of multifunctional devices from the macro to the nanoscale.
Use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials was supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Science-Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The MEMS/NEMS programs are supported by DARPA under contracts MIPR 06-W238.
