Graduate studies are an important part of any student's career. In choosing an institution for graduate studies, students should have a good idea of their future goals. In this lab, graduate students will be expected to perform independent research of a high quality acceptable in any peer reviewed journal. It is my commitment that graduate students who complete a degree in my lab will have obtained all of the necessary skills to move on in any future direction.

The research conducted in this lab will be in the area of Materials Science where Physics meets Chemistry meets Biology meets Engineering. For this reason, students in this group will be exposed to the areas of Science which play a crucial role in today's interdisciplinary research.

I list here some of the skills that a graduate student in this lab may be exposed to:
Materials Synthesis and Characterization:

The goal of many research or industrial projects involves making and understanding new materials. In this lab we will focus on thin film processes made by sputter deposition. Sputtering is a powerful technique which allows any material (metals, ceramics, plastics, etc.) to be deposited on a variety of substrates. Students working in this lab will learn to sputter thin films and control key parameters such as inherent film stress and morphology to suit various applications

The main characterization technique used in this lab will be scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM is versatile technique that not only allows samples to be imaged but also allows the manipulation of matter at the atomic scale.

Micromachining:
Micromachining is becoming an essential requirement of many research programs. In order to accommodate this need, in 2003 McGill University built a 3000 square foot clean room. In time, many research projects in this lab will involve the design of micromachined parts which will be built at McGill University in Montreal Quebec.
Modeling and Programing:

Computer modeling is an important part of many research projects. Modeling can not only help estimate the feasibility of a research project, it can also be a key part to understanding experimental results. In this lab we will use molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics to study the reactions suffered by cantilever sensors.

In time there will be many research opportunities available in this lab to suit the personal interest of various students. For this reason projects will be discussed on an individual level in order to best suit the needs of all those involved. Contact me with any question and/or comment you may have.
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