Muscat Research Group

Anthony J. Muscat
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721 USA
Building/Room: Harshbarger/134D
Telephone: 520-626-6580
Fax: 520-626-5397
E-mail: muscat at erc.arizona.edu

Education

2004-05 Sabbatical Research, Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center (IMEC) and Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Katholic University, Leuven, Belgium
1993-95 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, Professor Herb H. Sawin, mentor
1993 Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Dissertation title: "The Effects of Sulfur on the Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Adsorbed CO Overlayers on Ni(100)," Professor Robert J. Madix, advisor
1990-93 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, Professor Denis Roy, mentor
1987-88 Internship, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA, Dr. Helmut Poppa, mentor
1983 M.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
1982 B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis

Employment

2003-present Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
1998-2003 Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
1995-1997 Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, San Jose State Univ., San Jose, CA

Recognition

2007, 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998 Excellence at the Student Interface, University of Arizona, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering
2005 da Vinci Circle Fellowship UA College of Engineering
2003 Scientific American 50, Policy Leader in Chemicals and Materials
1998 Professor of the Year, Tau Beta Pi, University of Arizona Chapter
1998 National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Research Interests

My group's research interests are in surface chemistry and interfaces, specifically the chemical processes used to clean, etch, or deposit on the surfaces of solids. An understanding of surface chemistry and interfaces can be used to optimize existing materials used in microelectronics or catalysis and develop new materials with unique properties. The primary research goal is learning how chemical reactions take place on surfaces. Understanding the reaction mechanism provides a means to rationally design interfaces for specific purposes. Current research projects include 1) engineering the surfaces of semiconductors (Si, Ge, InAs, InGaAs) for advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices, 2) synthesis of nanoparticles such as quantum dots (clusters of atoms 1-5 nm in diameter), 3) dealloying metal alloys using supercritical CO2 to make nanoporous films and composites, and 4) sustainable manufacturing of nanometer-scale devices using biological molecules, which is a collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry and the Optical Sciences Center. We approach these problems by using experiments and modeling to understand the mechanisms of the surface chemical reactions that are at the heart of these technologies. My students are trained to apply the principles of surface chemistry and physics to a wide variety of problems and applications.

Team

Postdoctoral Researchers

Zhengtao Deng
Babak Imangholi

Graduate Students

Fee Li Lie
Rahul Jain
Davoud Zamani
Feng Jiang
Shawn Miller
Amy Ng
Bernal Granados

Alumni

Rachel Morrish (Ph.D. ChemE 2009)
Javier Torres, Assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador (postdoc 2007-08)
Gary Fleming, New Zealand (postdoc 2007-08)
Shariq Shiddiqui, University of Arizona Ph.D. candidate (M.S. ChemE 2008)
Adam Thorsness, Lam Research (Ph.D. ChemE 2006)
Gerardo Montano, Intel (Ph.D. ChemE 2006)
Hongbin Zhu, Micron (Ph.D. ChemE 2005)
Michael Durando, Boston University M.D./Ph.D. candidate (M.S. ChemE 2005)
Bo Xie, Applied Materials (Ph.D. ChemE 2005)
Sarah Perry, University of Illinois Ph.D. candidate (M.S. ChemE 2005)
Casey Finstad, Texas Instruments (Ph.D. ChemE 2004)