Please consider attending this seminar: MATERIALS ENGINEERING SEMINAR "Role of Surface Energy on the Growth of Vertically Aligned Nanocomposite Thin Films" By Jiawei Song Purdue MSE Preliminary Exam Advisor: Professor Haiyan Wang ABSTRACT Vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) thin films are widely explored due to their ability to couple different functionalities and induce three-dimensional strain. Several material systems have been studied include oxide-oxide, oxide-metal, and nitride-metal systems. Thermodynamic analysis of the nucleation and growth process is needed to understand the growth mechanism of self-assembled VAN structure. Thin film growth is affected by multiple factors, such as surface energy, lattice strain, crystal structure, and composition ratio. This review discusses how surface energy affects the growth of VAN thin films and proposes a design guideline for exploring new material systems. Date: Nov 22, 2021 Time: 9:00 AM WebEx: https://purdue.webex.com/purdue/j.php?MTID=m212b44464e40df23ee6c87a4c9fe62eb