Symposium Chairs
Aram Amassian, KAUST, Saudi Arabia, aram.amassian@kaust.edu.sa
Johanna Rosen, Linköping University, Sweden, johro@ifm.liu.se 

The topical symposium provides a forum for new and existing techniques and research opportunities for atomic-scale understanding of the thin film growth and the structure-property relationships. The physical, chemical, mechanical, and (opto-)electronic properties of thin films and coatings depend on the choice of building blocks, i.e., atoms, molecules, nanoparticles, and other building blocks; the packing and microstructure, as well as surface and interface morphologies. These parameters are controlled by the interplay of thermodynamic driving forces and kinetics present during deposition. This area of research is interdisciplinary and requires the development and application of several state-of-the-art theoretical, experimental, and/or computational tools to understand, at the atomic or molecular scale, 1) the underlying physicochemical pathways and processes occurring on surfaces and in the deposition environment during growth, 2) the mechanisms of assembly and the influence of atomic, molecular, and more complex building blocks, and 3) relation between the thin film structure and its properties. This understanding is essential for the synthesis of technologically important coatings of advanced organic, inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials.

The session will focus on, but not limited to, the atomic or molecular scale understanding of:  

(1) Assembly, nucleation and growth of thin films.

(2) Vacuum- and solution-based deposition processes.  

(3) Texture and surface morphological evolution.

(4) Structure-property relationships. 

Invited Speakers 

Frank Schreiber, Institut für Angewandte Physik - Universität Tübingen – Title TBA

Ting Xu, University of California, Berkeley, USA – Title TBA

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Technical Symposia:

A. Coatings for Use at High Temperature

B. Hard Coatings and Vapor Deposition Technology

C.Fundamentals and Technology of Multifunctional Thin Films

D. Biomedical Coatings

E. Tribology and Mechanical Behavior of Coatings and Thin Films

F. New Horizons in Coatings and Thin Films

G. Applications, Manufacturing, and Equipment

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Tutorial Sessions:

TS1. Computational & Experimental Studies of Thin Film Growth: An Atomistic View

TS2. Coatings for Fuel Cells & Batteries

TS3. Surface Engineering for Thermal Transport, Storage and Harvesting

TS4. Characterization: Linking Synthesis, Properties and Microstructure

TS5. Energetic Materials and Micro-Structures for Nanomanufacturing