Robert M. Suter

My work uses scattering techniques to study the structure of materials in a wide variety of contexts. I run the Physics Department's x-ray scattering facility which has four experimental stations on three x-ray sources.  Measurements are also done at synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering facilities in the US and Europe. Primary research topics in the department facility are 1) study of thin films formed in wetting processes, 2) study of biologically related lipid membranes, and 3) characterization of semiconductor thin films prepared by a variety of deposition techniques.

In collaboration with scientists at Sector 1 of the Advanced Photon Source,  we are developing a high energy x-ray diffraction microscope and the software necessary to reconstruct three dimensional maps of microstructure (3DXDM). This technique probes grain geometries and orientations deep inside of bulk materials. Being non-destructive, the technique makes it possible to watch the dynamical behavior of microstructure well away from the influence of surfaces. A wide variety of materials applications can be imagined. This project is part of the Mesoscale Interface Mapping Project at CMU.

Selected Publications

J. Moon, S. Garoff, P. Wynblatt, R. Suter, “Pseudo-Partial Wetting and Precursing Film Growth in Immiscible Metal Systems,” Langmuir 20, 402-408 (2004).

J. Moon, P. Wynblatt, S. Garoff, R. Suter, “Diffusion kinetics of Bi and Pb-Bi monolayer pre-cursing films on Cu(111)”, Surf. Sci. 559, 149-157 (2004).

U. Lienert, J. Almer, B. Jakobsen, W. Pantleon, H.F. Poulsen, D. Hennessy, C. Xiao, and R.M. Suter, “3-Dimensional Characterization of Polycrystalline Bulk Materials Using High-Energy Synchrotron Radiation”, Materials Science Forum 539-543, 2353-2358 (2007).

R.M. Suter, D. Hennessy, C. Xiao, and U. Lienert, “Forward Modeling Method for Microstructure Reconstruction Using X-ray Diffraction Microscopy: Single Crystal Verification”, Rev. Sci. Instr. 77, 123905 (2006).

R.M. Suter, C. Hefferan, S.F. Li, D. Hennessy, C. Xiao, U. Lienert, and B. Tieman, “Probing Microstructure Dynamics With X-ray Diffraction Microscopy,” accepted for publication in J. Engr. Mat. and Techn., (2007).

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Last modified: 3/13/08