Materials &
Device Engineering
for Microsystems &
Semiconductors
Master's student in Materials Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur, bridging materials science and device engineering through experiments, characterization, and modeling.
Interface Engineering and Electromechanical Characterization of Piezo-MEMS Devices
Investigated how bottom-electrode architecture influences the electrical, piezoelectric, and electromechanical performance of PZT thin-film MEMS devices. Assessed the quality of PZT films and Pt bottom electrodes through wafer-scale electrical characterization of over 270 capacitors across two 4-inch (100) and (111) wafers, and extracted the in-plane piezoelectric coefficients (e₃₁,f and d₃₁) of PZT and AlN microcantilevers using LDV measurements and MATLAB-based electromechanical modeling.
Quantitative Electromechanical Characterization of Piezoelectric Thin Films
Developed high-accuracy methodologies for extracting the longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) in AlN and PZT thin films on Mo/Si substrates. Addressed substrate-bending artifacts, a key limitation in nanoscale electromechanical metrology, through optimized micro-electrode design and validated Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) displacement profiles using coupled multiphysics finite-element simulations in COMSOL.
Experimental and First-Principles Investigation of PZT Ceramics
Developed a mechanochemical route for synthesizing single-phase PZT ceramics and correlated processing-induced microstructural evolution with electronic structure using first-principles DFT. Confirmed perovskite phase formation via XRD, analyzed densification and grain morphology using SEM, and computed the electronic band structure and density of states in Materials Studio.
Crystal Growth & Poling of Single Crystals
Investigated crystal-growth and poling strategies for CdZnTe and PMN-PT single crystals. Optimized Bridgman growth through (111) seed orientation to suppress twinning, compared AC and DC poling using d₃₃ measurements, and performed CALPHAD-based modeling of binary and ternary phase equilibria using Thermo-Calc.
When does an interface stop being passive and start dictating device physics?
How do we distinguish intrinsic material properties from measurement artifacts?
How do materials and device architecture collectively govern MEMS performance?
How much of device performance is determined before fabrication even begins?
How do oxygen-vacancy migration and imprint fields evolve under cyclic electrical loading?