Watch Professor Dunn's "Inside CNSE" video interview on the capabilities of the transmission electron microscope

Education

• Ph.D. Materials Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001
• B.S. Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 1991

Areas of Research

• Electron Microscopy
• Ion Microscopy
• Electron-beam Induced Deposition
• Electrochemical Deposition
• Defects in Metals, Alloys and Oxide Nanoparticles

Description of Research

Prof. Dunn's Group studies the impact of crystalline defects and chemical inhomogeneities in advanced materials. These defects impact the properties and behavior of nanomaterials particularly dramatically, because the number of atoms participating in those boundaries constitutes an appreciable fraction of the total atoms in the sample. As a result, observable properties are often dominated by interface, not bulk, material properties. Understanding these interactions at the atomic and electronic level will allow engineers to design new materials from the atom level upward, enabling them to tailor properties to reduce the power used in manufacturing, to prolong the service life of metal parts, or to create complex designs without compromising performance.

Specific projects include:

• copper recrystallization in narrow lines and vias
• electroless and electrodeposition of cobalt and copper alloys
• electronic interactions between copper and solutes at grain boundaries
• oxygen vacancies in ceria and their impact on slurry performance
• fatigue and wear of silica slurry nanoparticles
• microstructure and properties of cyro-EBID platinum

Honors and Awards

• Hermes of All, 2017-18: Teaching award granted by the Graduate Student Association for best instructor of all graduate students
• Women Who Inspire 2018, SUNY Poly Student Affairs Award
• Keynote speaker, Undergraduate Student Success Summit, SUNY Poly Utica 2017
• Hermes of the New, 2016-17: Teaching award granted by the Graduate Student Association for best instructor of first-year graduate students (as determined by poll of that cohort only)
• Invited Panelist on Teaching Excellence, Fall Faculty Retreat SUNY-Poly Utica 2016
• Co-Advisor, Best Social Club of the Year, 2015-2016, CNSE Music Club
• Nominee, Best Club Advisor, 2015-2016.
• Hermes of All, 2014-15: Teaching award granted by the Graduate Student Association for best instructor overall, as determined by vote of all graduate students
• Hermes of the New, 2013-14: Teaching award granted by the Graduate Student Association for best instructor of first-year graduate students (as determined by poll of that cohort only)
• Bread and Roses Award, 2011 for promoting gender equity on campus, University at Albany Council of Women’s Groups
• IBM Faculty Award, 2004 Project Title: Assessment of Structural Properties and Conductivity Characteristics of Metallic Nanowires and Nanostructures.

Editorial Board

• Journal of Electronic Materials

Selected Publications

1. S. Papa Rao, C. Hobbs, S. Olson, N. Foroozani, H. Chong, H. Stamper, B. Martinick, D. Ashworth, B. Bunday, M. Malloy, E. Holland, J. Nalaskowski, T. Ngai, I. Wells, M. Yakimov, S. Oktyabrsky, B. O’Brien, V. Kaushik, K. Dunn, K. Beckmann, S. Bennett, M. Rodgers, T. Murray, S. Novak, B. Baker-O’Neal, C. Borst, K.D. Osborn, and M. Liehr, “(Invited) Materials And Processes For Superconducting Qubits And Superconducting Digital Electronic Circuits On 300mm Wafers”, Electrochemical Society Transactions 85(6), pp. 151-161 (2018).
2. Tsurumaru, L. Prestowitz, B. O’Brien and K. Dunn, “The impact of solute segregation on grain boundaries in dilute copper alloys,” to appear in the Proceedings of the 2017 Advanced Metallization Conference.
3. B. O’Brien, M. Rizzolo, L. C. Prestowitz and K.A. Dunn, “Rapid Trench Initiated Recrystallization and Stagnation in Narrow Cu Interconnect Lines,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 171906 (2015). 10.1063/1.4932577
4. Ryan, K. Dunn, J. van Eisden and J. Adolf, “Properties of PEG, PPG and Their Copolymers: Influence on Copper Filling of Damascene Interconnects,” J. Electrochem. Soc. 160(12), D3186 – D3196 (2013). 10.1149/2.033312jes
5. O’Brien, E. Lifshin and K.A.Dunn, “Sidewall Texture and Microstructure of iPVD Copper Seed in Narrow Damascene Trenches,” J. Electrochem. Soc. 160(12), D3139-D3144 (2013). 10.1149/2.023312jes
6. Qiao, B. B. O’Brien, K. A. Dunn, and A.C. West, “The effect of Fe(III)/Fe(II) Redox Couple on Nucleus Density during Cu Electrodeposition Process,” J. Electrochem. Soc. 160(6), D271-D278 (2013). 10.1149/2.142306jes
7. Rizzolo, S. Novak and K.A. Dunn “Copper Multilayers for the investigation of subsurface impurity redistribution and resultant microstructure,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 051908 (2013). 10.1063/1.4817408
8. Y. Hung, M. Wormington, K. Matney, P. Ryan, K. Dunn, A. Wang, R. Hill., M-H. Wong, J. Price, W-E. Wang, and G. Bersuker, “Application of Inline X-ray Metrology for Defect Characterization of III-V/Si Heterostructures,” ECS Trans. 50(6), 341-350 (2013). 10.1149/05006.0341ecst
9. Bresin, M. Toth and K.A. Dunn, “Direct-write 3D Nanolithography at Cryogenic Temperatures,” Nanotechnology 24(3), 03501 (2013). 10.1088/0957-4484/24/3/035301
10. Rizzolo, S. Novak, E. Lifshin, and K.A. Dunn, “Correlating surface segregation and microstructural evolution of electrochemically deposited copper,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 101901 (2012). 10.1063/1.4750252
11. Volov, E. Swanson, B. O’Brien, S. W. Novak, R. van den Boom, K. Dunn and A.C. West, “Pulse-Plating of Copper-Silver Alloys for Interconnect Applications,” J. Electrochem. Soc.159(11), D677-D683 (2012). 10.1149/2.066211jes
12. Ryan, K. A. Dunn, and J. van Eisden, “Development of Electrochemical Copper Deposition Screening Methodologies for Next Generation Additive Selection,” Microelectron. Eng. 92, 91-94 (2012). 10.1016/j.mee.2011.04.051
13. Manna, I.C. Noyan, Q. Zhang, I.F. Salakhutdinov, K.A. Dunn, S.W. Novak, R. Moug, M.C. Tamargo, G.F. Neumark, I.L. Kuskovsky, “Structural properties and spatial ordering in multilayered ZnMgTe/ZnSe type-II quantum dot structures,” J. Appl. Phys. 111(3), 033516-1 - 033516-7 (2012). 10.1063/1.3681812
14. Carlsen, S. Higashiya, N.I. Topilina, K.A. Dunn, R.E. Geer, E.T. Eisenbraun, A.E. Kaloyeros and J.T. Welch, “Metallization of a Genetically Engineered Polypeptide,” Macromolecular Bioscience 12(2), 269-273 (2012). 10.1002/mabi.201100245
15. Ryan, K.Dunn and J. van Eisden, “Development of electrochemical copper deposition screening methodologies for next generation additive selection,” Proc. 2011 MRS Spring Meeting 1335, 105-110 (2012). 10.1557/opl.2011.1266
16. E. Kaloyeros, E.T. Eisenbraun, K. Dunn and O. van der Straten, “Zero Thickness Diffusion Barriers and Metallization Liners for Nanoscale Device Applications,” Chem. Eng. Communications 198 (11) pp. 1453-1481 (2011). 10.1080/00986445.2011.576450
17. Bresin, B.L. Thiel, K.A. Dunn and M. Toth, “Focused Electron Beam-Induced Deposition at Cryogenic Temperatures,” J. Mater. Res. 26(3), 357-364 (2011). 10.1557/jmr.2010.59
18. Vartanian, P. McClure, V. Mancevski, J. J. Kopanski, P. D. Rack, I. Sitnisky, M. Bresin, V. LaBella and K. Dunn, “Conductive Carbon Nanotubes for Semiconductor Metrology,” Proc. of SPIE 7767, 77670F-1-15 (2010). 10.1117/12.861315
19. Li, M. Toth, K.A. Dunn, and B. L. Thiel, “Interfacial mixing and internal structure of Pt-containing nanocomposites grown by room temperature electron beam induced deposition,” J. Appl. Phys. 107 (10), 103540-103545 (2010). 10.1063/1.3428427
20. Botman, C.W. Hagen, J. Li, B.L. Thiel, K.A. Dunn, J.J.L. Mulders, S. Randolph, and M. Toth, “Electron postgrowth irradiation of platinum-containing nanostructures grow by electron beam-induced deposition from Pt(PF₃)₄,” J. Vac. Sci & Tech. B 27(6), 2759-63 (2009). 10.1116/1.3253551