Judith C. Yang

 

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

837 Benedum Hall

412-624-8613, 8069(fax)
jyang@engr.pitt.edu

http://www.engr.pitt.edu/materials/people/facstaff/yang_judith.html

  

 

Judith Yang’s group focuses on the application and development of new electron microscopy techniques to understand nano surface reactions, such as oxidation. In situ UHV-TEM improves our fundamental understanding of oxidation that, have to now, eluded explanation. The understanding of nano-oxidation mechanisms is essential to the environmental stability of nano-devices as well as processing since some nanostructures are created by nano-oxidation. Surface reactions on non-planar surfaces are also important to heterogeneous catalysis.  Supported 3-dimensional nanostructure provides the surface where the catalytic reaction occurs.  We are developing characterization methodologies to determine the structural habits of these nanostructures at the atomistic scale as the essential first step to fundamental understanding of these important surface reactions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright-field image of a hollow pyramid Cu2O island created by in situ oxidation of Cu(001) at 1000°C and 5x10-4 torr O2.  The inset is an electron diffraction pattern identifying the island as Cu2O that is epitaxial with respect to the Cu film.  Surface structure and strain are critical factors controlling the oxide shape.