Project Grant 2542003

The National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan $653,618 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop computational tools for predicting the synthesis and synthesizability of metastable epitaxial thin films.

The research focuses on theoretical and computational methods to control which crystal structure forms during thin-film synthesis, addressing a challenge across many materials systems where metastable phases can offer more valuable optical and electronic properties than stable phases but prove difficult to synthesize. The investigator will develop predictive computational tools for metastable oxide thin films, specifically vanadium oxide and hafnium oxide materials relevant to advanced semiconductor technologies including artificial intelligence chip architectures, accounting for how structure selection depends on temperature, chemical environment, substrate strain, early-stage nucleation, and thermal cycling stability.

The project integrates education for K–9 students, university students, and high-school teachers through phase-transformation visualization and interactive learning. The education plan includes an exhibit at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum featuring the triple point of water, virtual reality ternary phase diagrams for classroom teaching, and curriculum modules on thermodynamics.

Performance occurs at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031. The assistance type is a project grant.