GT - IEN/IMAT Materials Characterization Facility
Image Contest Results

Image Contest Results

The MCF hosts a running image contest that resets monthly.  In addition to displaying some of the imaging and analysis capabilities of our labs, it gives our users a chance to display their creative side. Check back here at the first of each month for updates on monthly awardees and twice a year – around mid-January and mid-June – to see the semiannual grand prize winners.

If you are an MCF user, then check out the contest rules here and please consider submitting.

 Image Contest Prize Winners for 1st Half of 2017

  • Grand Prize Co-Winner - $100

    Ali Khosravani (ME), PI: Surya Kalidindi - Western Conifer Seed Bug - Feb 2017

  • Grand Prize Co-Winner - Extra recognition - no extra $$

    Ali Khosravani (ME), PI: Surya Kalidindi - Scales on a Moth's Wing - Feb 2017

  • Grand Prize Co-Winner - $100

    Thomas Rudzik (MSE), PI: Rosario Gerhardt (MSE) - Barium Titanate Sunspots - June 2017

  • 1st Runner-Up 1 - $50

    Sang-Yun Han (ME), PI: Matt McDowell (ME) - Titania nanowire caterpillar - Nov 2016

  • 1st Runner-Up 2 - $50

    Amir Hossein Hosseinia (ECE), PI: Ali Adibi (ECE) - Optical Delay Line - Nov 2016

  • 1st Runner-Up 3 - $50

    Arkadeep Kumar (ME), PI: Shreyes Melkote (ME) - Jewels in the Mine - Jan 2017

  • 1st Runner-Up Tecnical Merit - $50

    Yong Ding and Eric Woods - Atomic-resolution STEM image of ~15 nm- wide trilayer MoS2 flake - March 2017

    • June 2017

  • BaTiO3 Sunspots

    Researcher: Thomas Rudzik, Ph.D. student MSE, PI: Rosario Gerhardt (MSE)

    • More Info:
    BaTiO3 Sunspots

    This is an image of sintered barium titanate silicate glass microspheres that crystallized during sintering.  Crystallization initiated at the glass particle boundaries and amorphous glass was pulled from the centers of the larger grains leaving the voids which appear as the “sunspots”.  The contraction on crystallization also formed the “shattered glass” pattern since the denser crystalline regions can no longer fill all the available space within the microspheres.

    April 2017

    Selected images:

  • Seeing Tech Everywhere U Look

    Researcher: Ali Khosravani Ph.D. (ME), PI: Surya Kalidindi (ME). Tool: Tescan Mira3 SEM

  • Zinc Oxide Pincushion

    Researcher: Yamin Zhang Ph.D. student (ChBE), PI: Nian Liu (ChBE). Tool: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

    • More Info:
    Seeing Tech Everywhere U Look

    Image of a hoverfly’s compound eyes.  The sample was coated with a 2nm thick gold layer enabling the sample to be imaged using a standard SEM.
    Zinc Oxide Pincushion
    ZnO nanorods on Fe foil substrate.

     

    Other April submissions:

    • ZnO nanorods-1 Yamin Zhang / Nian Liu (ChBE)

     

    March 2017:

    Selected images:

  • Elemental Character

    Researcher: Amrita Basak Ph.D. student (ME), PI: Suman Das (ME), Tool: Hitachi SU-8230 SEM

  • Mismatch

    Researcher: Ali Khosravani Ph.D. student (ME), PI: Surya Kalidindi (ME), Tool: Tescan Mira SEM

  • MoS2 composite

    Researcher: MCF Staff, Samples provided by Hossein Taghinejad and Brian Beatty, Tool: Hitachi HD-2700 STEM

    • More Info:
    Elemental Character The image shows the formation of Chinese-script carbides in nickel-based
    superalloys that are typically found to be Ta-rich.

    Mismatch
    An EBSD scan of thermal twins formed in a Cu grain. These twins formed
    during cooling cycle from a high temperature. The EBSD technique is capable of measuring crystal orientations of a material at very high spatial and angular resolution.

     

    MoS2 Composite
    This montage shows STEM images of MoS2 samples.  At upper right and lower left the honeycomb “texture” in the images is the atomic structure of a monolayer-thick flake of MoS2.  The upper left image shows a zoomed out view of a folded MoS2 flake on a TEM grid, while the lower left image shows an edge-on view of a tri-layer flake with the atomic columns visible as small bright dots .

     

    Other February submissions:
    • ---Hossein Taghinejad / Ali Adibi (ECE) Collage of White-light and Raman spectra images of MoS2 flake --- -

     

    February 2017:

    Selected images:

  • Top Gun

    Researcher: Ali Khosravani - Ph.D. Student (ME), PI: Surya Kalidindi (ME)

  • Ghostly Hollows

    Researcher: Sang Yun Han - M.S. student (ME), PI: Matt McDowell (ME)

    • More Info:

    Top Gun An image of a fly’s head showing details of its head: compound eyes, ocelli, and antenna

     

    Ghostly Cavern:
    These were originally tin particles mixed with two types of polymer (CMC and PMMA). Then, we dissolved PMMA nano spheres to create nanoporous thin film for energy storage applications. Even when imaged at very low voltage with electron deceleration to guard against beam damage, we are still able to resolve features smaller than 10nm.

     

    Other February submissions:
    • --- Electron Channeling pattern on Ge: Ali Khosravani (ME), PI - Surya Kalidindi (ME) --- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    January 2017:

    Selected images:

  • Details on a Moth Wing

    Researcher: Ali Khosravani - Ph.D. student (ME) PI: Surya Kalidindi (ME)

  • Treasure Chest

    Researcher: Arkadeep Kumar - Ph.D. student (ME) PI: Shreyes Melkote (ME)

    • More Info:

    Details of a Moth Wing:  The image show details of scales on a moth wing. The hollow structure
    of scales make the wing very light despite its size.  The structure illustrates how lighter, softer materials (i.e., not metals or concrete) can be used to generate strong resilient structures.

     

    Treasure Chest:
      This iridescent surface was revealed when the surface of a metal 3D printed block was imaged to display a pearlescent
    appearance with very different colors – like jewels in a mine.

     

    Other January submissions:
    • ------------------- Cracks in SiC - Arkadeep Kumar / Shreyes Melkote (ME) ------------------ -

    December 2016:

    Selected images:

  • Copper Bouquet

    Researcher: Reza Abbaspour - Ph.D. Student (ECE) PI: Muhannad Bakir (ECE) Instrument: FEI Nova FIB/SEM

  • CNT Spiral "Galaxy"

    Researcher: Erik Anderson - Ph.D. Student (ME) PI: Baratunde Cola (ME) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

  • Monodisperse ZIF-7 Microrods

    Researcher: Simon Pang - Postdoctoral Fellow (ChBE) PI: Ryan Lively (ChBE) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

  • It's Not Easy Being Green

    Researcher: Arkadeep Kumar - Ph.D. Student (ME) PI: Shreyes Melkote (ME) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

    • More Info:

    Copper Bouquet: .

     

    CNT Spiral 'Galaxy':
    A vertical array of CNT’s is grown beneath a thin layer of SiO2 that coats the catalyst. Deformation of SiO2 during the growth process causes the CNT array to form majestic Archimedes spiral patterns. The growth of these spiral patterns, which are observed after the SiO2 is removed, has not yet been fully explored. The CNTs will be used in optical rectenna devices for energy harvesting and high frequency applications.

     

    Monodisperse ZIF-7 Nanorods:
    Through careful control of synthesis parameters such as temperature, solvent, and modulating ligands, these monodisperse micron-sized rods of ZIF-7, a metal-organic framework, can be grown in high quantity and yield. ZIF-7 has the potential to dramatically reduce the energy cost of purifying difficult-to-separate light gases such as ethane/ethylene or hydrogen/methane. By producing monodisperse particles, we can more accurately study the diffusion of these kinds of gases into ZIF-7, allowing for better development of parameters to optimize separations.

     

    It's not Easy Being Green:
    This image of a frog on a sidewalk – as if it made an imprint in wet cement is actually the surface morphology of a silicon wafer sliced by fixed abrasive diamond wire. We are investigating the surface damage in Si wafers caused by dicing with grits of different sizes and shapes.

     

    Other December submissions:
    • -------------------------------- ITO Island - Jordan Key / Josh Kacher (MSE)-------------------------------------- --

    November 2016:

    Selected images:

  • Beginnings of Hydrated CSA Cement Structure

    Researcher: Lisa Burris - Postgraduate Fellow (CE) PI: Kimberly Kurtis (CE) Instrument: Hitachi 3700 VPSEM

  • Merged Eutectic pools in Ni superalloy

    Researcher: Amrita Basak - Ph.D. student (ME) PI: Suman Das (ME) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230

  • High aspect ratio TiO2 nanowires

    Researcher: Sang Yun Han - M.S. student (MSE) PI: Matt McDowell (MSE) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

  • ZIF-8 nanocubes

    Researcher: Simon Pang - Postgraduate Fellow (ChBE) PI: Ryan Lively (ChBE) Instrument: Hitachi SU8230 SEM

    •  

    More Info:

    Beginnings of Hydrated CSA cement structure:   Only thirty minutes after initial contact with water, the formation of ettringite crystals, which form the hardened crystal structure of a hydrated calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement, begins. CSAs are a greener alternative to portland cements, but many aspects of their hydration, structure, and performance are not yet well understood. By increasing our knowledge of these materials at microstructural levels we can optimize their usability and durability while at the same time decreasing the environmental footprint of new construction.

     

    Merged Eutectic Pools in Ni superalloy:
      Nickel-based superalloys contain several alloying elements to optimize their high-temperature performance in gas turbine engines.
    This image is obtained for René 142 additively manufactured using a Scanning Laser Epitaxy (SLE) process currently being developed at Georgia Tech.
    During melting and re-solidification, the alloying elements segregate and create fascinating microstructural features such as these eutectic pools.  Studying these pools is necessary to eliminate them in the final product as they reduce component life.

     

    High Aspect Ratio TiO2 nanowires:
      The TiO2 nanowires were grown on FTO conductive glass under varying conditions. The glass was submerged in solution and heated in an autoclave for a range of two to 8 hours. While the length of time in the furnace was altered, changes were also made to the concentration of titanium butoxide used in the original solution. Through the use of SEM, we were able to determine which conditions yielded nanowires with both desired length and density. In the future, optimized nanowires will be used in photoelectric devices.

     

    ZIF-8 nanocubes:
      ZIF-8 is a metal-organic framework with internal surface area of 1400 m^2 per gram.
    These nanocubes have greater resistance to degradation under acidic conditions due to their specific surface facet termination.

     

    Other November submissions:
    • ZIF closeup