Dr. Richard Gates

Research Interests

• Nanoscale surface interactions and chemistry including nanotribology and tribochemistry
• Scanning probe microscopy measurements and standards especially as it relates to atomic force microscopy
• Microfabrication and the improvement of devices and artifacts for AFM calibration and method development

Figure 1(left): Microfabricated reference cantilever array for calibrating the spring constant of AFM cantilevers; Figure 2 (center): Microfabricating the array using deep reactive ion etching; Figure 3 (right) Nanoindenter calibration schematic for AFM cantilevers.

Postdoctoral Research Opportunities

Nanomechanical Standards - Nanotechnology has introduced a new series of technical challenges associated with material property measurements at the nanoscale. One such challenge involves determining the accuracy and precision of nanoscale measurements and requires suitable calibration artifacts and procedures. This project will investigate the development of nanoscale standards capable of accurately calibrating normal and lateral forces for atomic force microscopy and instrumented nanoindenter technologies. Emphasis is placed on the development of accurate transfer artifacts using novel combinations of design, modeling, lithography, nanofabrication, and calibration through SI traceable techniques. Development and optimization of instrument test device (e.g., AFM cantilevers) calibration procedures will ensure that the calibration artifacts are used to their full potential.

Awards and Honors

• Outstanding Paper Award, Measurement Science and Technology Journal, 2006

• Al Sonntag Best Paper Award, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, 1991

• American Chemical Society Analytical Chemistry Award, Hobart College, 1976

• Nanotech Briefs Nano 50 Award, 2008

Standards Outputs

Current Chairman of Versailles Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) Technical working area 29 on Nanomechanics Applied to Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). VAMAS Report #49 (Mini round robin on AFM cantilever spring constant calibration) is available on the web at http://www.vamas.org/twa29/documents/2009_vamas_twa29_report_49_mrr_afm_cantilever_calibration.pdf