IMRE Factsheets

Title	Description	Contents
Advanced Solder Reliability Testing & Analyses	Includes tests for: High-Speed Ball Shear Testing High-Rate Cycle Constrained Board-Level Bending Test Measuring The Fracture Toughness of Solder From Ball Shear Test	Allows an alternative approach to study solder ball failure in electronic packages during board-level drop impact condition, e.g. study the transition of fracture modes due to shear rate Allow a cheap, simple and fast method to evaluate solder interconnect failure of electronic packages. An alternative to board-level drop impact test First ever method developed to measure the specific work to fracture a solder during using shear testing
Anode Modification for Enhancing OLED Performance	Our research is to better understand the mechanism of anode modification for enhancing OLED performance. We develop techniques for engineering interfacial properties for device applications.	Developed OLED architectures and electrode modification techniques Improved emission efficiency and increasing its operating lifetime
Application of Smart Materials for Sensors and Actuators		Miniaturised piezoelectric micro-actuators through silicon micro-fabrication Nanowire arrays on substrates for chemical and electrochemical sensing applications Major Facilities
Biosensors for Studying Biomolecular Interactions	Biosensors are capable of in-situ characterisation of bioaffinity interactions without using labeled materials.	We specialise SPR, QCM and EIS for studying biomolecular interactions, including: DNA-DNA interactions Protein-DNA interactions for screening SNP in DNA etc. Antigen-antibody interactions for diagnosis of allergies and infectious diseases Sugar-protein interactions
Capabilities in OLED Failure Analysis	We conduct failure analysis of organic devices or materials based on theoretical simulation and experimental results.	Conduct quantitative analysis results for mobility change, recombination and efficiency Low frequency noise analysis to test noise from OLEDs to detect conduction and degradation mechanisms as well as light emission mechanisms
Charge Transport Studies on Conjugated Polymers to Optimise OLED Performance	We study the charge mobility characteristics in conjugated polymers and understand the nature of charge transport mechanism, as well as the dependence of charge mobility on applied electric field and photocharge on light intensity.	The ToF-PC technique can be used to understand the charge transport characteristics in conjugated polymers The temperature dependence and field dependence of mobility provides quantitative information about the disorder
Clay Splitting Criterion of Clay Nanocomposites	Modelling clay nanocomposites.	Able to model the complex three dimension microstructure of clay nanocomposites Able to observe & monitor the evolving plastic & damage zones of the nanocomposite Able to derive a clay splitting stress criterion for full three dimension stress state
Combination of SPR and QCM in One Device	We have developed a patented method to combine the SPR and QCM resonance in one sensor chip for simultaneous SPR and QCM measurement.	The combined data collection and analysis from complementary sensing platform allows for a comprehensive characterisation of the physical properties of a biological film, e.g. thickness, viscoelasticity, density, and conformation, etc.
Contrast Enhancement of OLEDs	We have developed a gradient refractive index indium tin oxide (ITO) anode for high contrast OLED based displays.	Fabrication gradient refractive index anode to reduce ambient reflection Display having high visual contrast without using the circular polarizer Can be easily integrated into existing OLED fabrication process
Determination of Heterojunction Band Offsets by Photoemission	Determining heterojunction band offsets and tuning them to a desired application impact on the optimisation of the devices.	Photoemission spectroscopy is a powerful tool for in situ analysis of the band offsets.
Electrical Measurement at the Nanoscale		Electrical Measurements - BEEM Electrical Measurements - Isolated Molecules Nanoscale Fabrication
Flexible Substrates for Plastic Electronics	A key research focus at IMRE is to develop flexible substrates and a gas permeation measurement test system that are suitable for the emerging display technologies such as OLED, PLED, EP and Flexible LCD.	IMRE has successfully resolved the pore effect issue in multilayer barrier stacks and developed ultra high barrier plastic substrates (barrier properties greater than 10-6g/m2/day) for OLED applications A quantitative moisture and oxygen permeation measurement system has been developed at IMRE
High Sensitivity Oxygen and Water Vapour Permeation Measurement System	Applications in flexible substrate barrier property analysis, thin films defect analysis, and organic electronics and microelectronics / semiconductor packaging studies.	High sensitivity at a level of less than 10-7g /m2/day and with measurement temperature ranging from 20�C to 95�C Suitable for oxygen and water vapour permeation studies Suitable for plastic substrates and hermetically sealed packaged structures
Inkjet Printing for OLED Applications	We have an established background in the development of novel materials including Polymer Electronics and OLED (Organic Light Emitting Device) materials.	Establish a facility to fabricate OLED & Polymer Electronic test devices Provide a tool and development environment to support investigations into the applicability of inkjet printing in various fields Provide training, awareness and support for local industry
Low Temperature TCOs TCOs for Flexible OLEDs	We develop high quality transparent conductive oxides (TCO)s including ITO, IZO, AZO at a low process temperature for flexible electronics.	TCO has smooth surface, high electric conductivity and optical transparency Low deposition temperature < 60�C
Membranes, Barrier Films and Polyimides - Functional Polymers		Non - Fluorinated Membranes and Catalysts for Fuel Cells Barrier Films and Lubricants for Hard Disk Drives Electroplatable Polyimides for Microelectronics
Molecular and Polymer Electronics	Organic, Polymer and Nanocomposite Materials.	For solar cells and field effect/light emitting transistors Nanocomposite dendrimers: Rigid cores with active organic peripheries Molecular and polymeric materials
Nano-integration of Oxide with Semiconductor for Nanoelectronic Devices	We have successful fabricated high-quality high-k oxides on semiconductors through unique processes and integrated metal gates by engineering the interface atomic structure.	Alternative gate dielectrics SOI, GOI, and GaAs on Si technologies Ferroelectric RAM and transistors Magnetic tunnelling junction for spintronic devices Surface coating for thermal barrier, hard coating, anticorrosion, and anti-reflection, etc
Novel Materials at the Nanoscale - Functional Nanomaterials	Morphology-controlled functional nanomaterials have unique chemical, mechanical, electrical, optical, magnetic or biological properties that are distinctly different form their macroscopic analogs and provide new diverse opportunities for promising nanotechnologies.	Size and Composition - Tunable Quantum Dots ZnO/TiO2 Nanorods or Nanoarrays and Silica - Coated Metal Nanocrystals Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) Conducting Polymer Nanofibers via Electrospinning
OLED Colour Tuning with Graded ITO	A multicolour or full colour pixelated display can be produced by forming an array of OLED microcavities on a substrate.	Use of one emissive material to generate multicolour images, including full colour ones Microcavity effect devices can give variable colours
Organic/Polymer Solar Cells	Organic solar cells have the advantage of low cost due to easy processing and use of ultra-thin layers.	The programme aims to develop: Organic/polymer and nanocomposite materials Processing techniques Device structures Characterisation methods for both evaporative and solution processable solar cells
PLED Passive Matrix Display	We develop transparent OLED architecture combined with passive matrix displays with dual-sided moving message display.	Applications may include heads-up displays and instrumentation and single-module clamshell mobile phones
Probing Reactions at the Atomic Scale	We undertake the probing of the growth mechanism of selected key next generation device materials system (e.g.oxides, silicides, germanides, carbon nanotubes etc) in real time at atomic resolution.	IMRE is the first research group in the world to observe individual SWNT growth dynamics in real time. We expound the influence of catalyst size on the formation of different carbon nanostructures. And for the first time, we have resolved, through direct experimental data, the CNT's growth mechanism.
Reducing Quenching Interactions in Thin Film Light Emitting Layers Using Nanostructures		Luminescence Studies of Vapour Deposited Poly-phenylene Vinylene (VD PPV) CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dot Aggregate Size Studies
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) for Materials Analysis	Because each element has its own mass, analysis of the mass spectrum allows us to determine what elements are in the sample.	High mass resolution distinguishes several compounds within one integer mass High sensitivity - spectrum from sputtering less than one molecular layer Parallel detection of ions with all masses Unlimited mass range
Smart Materials for Sensors and Actuators	We develop smart materials with sensing or actuation functions for miniaturised devices by exploring new compositions and processing methods, and understanding the functional mechanisms. We have successfully made high performance ferroelectric materials and several miniaturised piezoelectric devices, and assembled functional components into nanodot, nanowire and nanotube arrays on various substrates.	Ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials Ferroelectric and piezoelectric sensors and actuators Electrochemical fabrication of nanowire arrays using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template Fabrication of metal oxide nanotube arrays on substrates using atomic layer deposition (ALD) Target Industries
Solution Growth of Functional Oxide Films and Nanostructures at Low Temperatures	We utilise solution growth techniques (e.g. hydrothermal synthesis, liquid phase deposition) to form polycrystalline, oriented and epitaxial films, and nanostructures at low temperatures (<200^oC).	Growth on temperature sensitive substrates, e.g. polymers, allowing integration of varied materials. Uneven and porous bodies can be coated evenly. Low temperature employed - simpler process amenable to automation - lower capital and operating cost - reduces problems such as interfacial reactions and cracking from residual thermal stress
SPR and QCM Techniques for Bio-interface Characterisation		Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Spectroscopy Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) Uniqueness and Achievement Studying protein - DNA interactions
Strengthening Materials - Polymer Nanocomposites	IMRE's current research on polymer nanocomposites focuses on exfoliating and/or dispersing nanofillers in polymer matrices to maximise their physical, thermal and mechanical properties via the so-called nano-effect.	Polymer - clay Nanocomposites Carbon Nanofibre / Polymer Composites Nano - TiO2 Photocatalytic Coatings
Study of Molecular Interactions by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy	We study filler-matrix interactions in hybrid nano-materials as these are known to influence material properties.We also perform structural studies of triblock copolymer micelles, which are being investigated as drug delivery vehicles.	Understanding their structure and behaviour is important to know how hydrophobic drugs can be easily incorporated into the micellar core and their subsequent drug release rate.
Studying Materials at the Nanoscale - Scanning Probe Microscopy	IMRE undertakes characterisation and fabrication R&D for materials and technology at the nanometre scale, using Scanning Probe Microscopy (or SPM).	Scanning Probe Microscopy Target Industries Capability
The Optimisation of Optoelectronic Materials & Processes by Studying Photoexcited States	Involves the study of the nature of excited states in conjugated polymers, the recombination dynamics of excited states and calculate the lifetime of excited states.	The lifetime of excited states and their recombination dynamics can be utilised to understand the device physics
Unique Nanoimprinting and Self-assembly - Fabricating Ordered Nanostructures	Our research includes both bottom-up and top-down methods. The bottom-up approach is the self-assembly of supramolecules and nanocomposites while top-down approach is the nanoimprinting of polymeric materials.	Self- assembled Macromolecular Systems Self-assembly of Nanocomposites Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL)

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