Our group focuses on the science underlying the synthesis and stability of advanced materials for applications in the areas of aerospace, catalysis, energy storage, and optoelectronics industries. We aim to develop detailed atomic-level understanding of the mass transport mechanisms, chemical reaction kinetics, and material thermodynamics controlling morphological, compositional, and structural evolution of materials. We use a variety of in situ (as well as ex situ) characterization tools such as variable-temperature scanning probe microscopy (STM/AFM), low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM), scanning/transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to investigate the kinetics of nucleation, growth, and thermochemical and mechanical stabilities of nanostructures.   Currently, we are interested in:

• • Growth, structural, and mechanical characterization of transition-metal carbide thin films and refractory high-entropy alloy compounds.
  • Growth and surface dynamics of 2D layered materials.

1. Zaid, H., Tanaka, K., Ciobanu, C. V., Yang, J.-M., Kodambaka, S. & Kindlund, H. Growth of elastically-stiff, nanostructured, high-entropy alloy nitride, (VNbTaMoW)N/Al2O3(0001) thin film. Mater. 197, 113813, doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2021.113813 (2021).
2. (cover page) Zaid, H., Tanaka, K., Liao, M., Goorsky, M. S., Kodambaka, S. & Kindlund, H. Self-Organized Growth of 111-Oriented (VNbTaMoW)N Nanorods on MgO(001). Nano Lett. 21, 577-582, doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04061 (2021).
3. Tanaka, K., Liao, M. E., Aleman, A., Zaid, H., Goorsky, M. S. & Kodambaka, S. Growth of heterolayered [cubic-TaC(111) + rhombohedral-Ta₃C₂(0001)] nanocomposite thin films on Al₂O₃(0001). Acta Mater. 204, 116499, doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.116499 (2021).
4. Tanaka, K., Aleman, A., Zaid, H., Liao, M. E., Hojo, K., Wang, Y., Goorsky, M. S. & Kodambaka, S. Ultra-high vacuum dc magnetron sputter-deposition of 0001-textured trigonal α-Ta₂C/Al₂O₃(0001) thin films. Materialia 13, 100838, doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2020.100838 (2020).
5. (invited paper) Zaid, H., Aleman, A., Tanaka, K., Li, C., Berger, P., Back, T., Fankhauser, J., Goorsky, M. S. & Kodambaka, S. Influence of ultra-low ethylene partial pressure on microstructural and compositional evolution of sputter-deposited Zr-C thin films. Surface and Coatings Technology 398, 126053, doi:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2020.126053 (2020).
6. Arias, P., Ebnonnasir, A., Ciobanu, C. V. & Kodambaka, S. Growth Kinetics of Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride Layers on Pd(111). Nano Lett. 20, 2886-2891, doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00704 (2020).
7. Arias, P., Tesař, J., Kavner, A., Šikola, T. & Kodambaka, S. In Situ Variable-Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies of Graphene Growth Using Benzene on Pd(111). ACS Nano 14, 1141-1147, doi:10.1021/acsnano.9b09067 (2020).
8. Zaid, H., Stremfel, J. W., Tanaka, K., Liao, M., Goorsky, M. S., Yang, J.-M. & Kodambaka, S. Mechanical properties of compositionally-rich body-centered cubic VNbTaMoW alloy. Materialia 12, 100746, doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2020.100746 (2020).
9. Zaid, H., Aleman, A. & Kodambaka, S. Size-dependent yielding and strain-hardening of compositionally-enriched body-centered cubic VNbTaMoW alloy. Mater. 178, 518-521, doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2019.12.028 (2020).
10. Tornberg, M., Jacobsson, D., Persson, A. R., Wallenberg, R., Dick, K. A. & Kodambaka, S. Kinetics of Au–Ga Droplet Mediated Decomposition of GaAs Nanowires. Nano Lett. 19, 3498-3504, doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00321 (2019).

• Member, Executive Committee, Applied Surface Engineering Division (ASED), part of the AVS (2013-present)
• Guest Editor, Proceedings of the ICMCTF 2013.
• Editorial Board Member, Vacuum (2012-present)
• Discussion leader, GRC (Thin Film & Crystal Growth Mechanisms), Maine (2011).
• Alumni Achievement Award, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (2010).
• Paul H. Holloway Young Investigator Award, AVS Int’l Conf. (2009).
• Member, User Executive Committee (2009-2011), C.I.N.T.
• Best Paper Award, IBM Materials Research Community (2008).
• Ross J. Martin award, outstanding doctoral thesis, College of Engineering, UIUC (2003).
• Best poster presentation award: AVS Prairie Chapter, Chicago, IL (2002).
• Gold medal, outstanding graduate research, MRS spring meeting, San Francisco, CA (2001).
• Mavis Memorial Fund Scholarship, College of Engineering, UIUC (2001).
• Ivan Racheff award, outstanding graduate research, Dept. Materials Science, UIUC (2000).
• Best poster presentation award: NSF-DARPA Virtual Integrated Prototyping project review, Champaign, IL (1998).