材料科学特別研修Ⅱ

理学研究科化学専攻 Huangさん

As part of my doctor research, I focused on the synthesis of free-standing functional metal oxide thin films using the sacrificial layer method. However, the sacrificial layer method is a relatively advanced method, so we had no experience in separating the thin film from the substrate and transferring the thin film to the surface of other materials. Since the sacrificial layer method was first invented by Prof. Harold Y. Hwang at Stanford University, I found the name of Prof. Seung Sae Hong after reading his paper and contacted him by e-mail. He agreed with my plan to visit his lab soon, so I started planning my trip to UC Davis.

With the help of the GP-MS office, I successfully applied for insurance and got my visa. On June 4, I flew from Haneda Airport and changed planes in Los Angles, finally arriving at Sacramento Airport. Prof. Hong kindly sent a student from his lab to pick me up at the airport and bring me to my apartment. After settling in, I soon started my research. To learn the sacrificial layer method, my research topic at UC Davis was synthesis of freestanding LaNiO3 membrane. Several graduate students in Prof. Hong's lab taught me the basic rules of their lab and the operation of various experimental equipment. As for the transfer of freestanding thin film, Prof. Hong kindly taught me by himself to let me understand the operation clearly.

I also encountered a big problem during my stay. The pulsed laser deposition system at UC Davis was broken, and it took almost a month and a half to repair it. This problem greatly slowed down my research progress, so I had to speed up my experiments after the machine was repaired. I worked really hard during the weekdays and weekends, and even slept in the lab at times to complete my project. After my hard work, I finally finished my project before I left the US. I finalized my results and gave an oral presentation at the GP-MS symposium. I'm also planning to write a paper to publish my results.

Besides my research, I also visited several places in California. I visited UC Berkeley and Lawrence National Laboratory to attend the Molecular Foundry User's Meeting. There I heard several presentations by US researchers. I also visited the Bay Area and San Francisco for sightseeing. At UC Davis, I had a lot of fun observing wild animals on their campus and tried many foreign foods.

Finally, I would like to thank Prof. Hong for giving me this precious opportunity and accepting me as a visiting student. The sacrificial layer method I learned will play an important role in my future research. I would also like to thank the GP-MS office for providing me with great support during my stay in the US. Especially when I found it difficult to rent a new apartment, GP-MS office kindly covered all my hotel expenses.

Although my trip to the US was over, I will never forget it and make it a great treasure in my future study and career.