As the microelectronics industry continues to develop new methods to shrink circuit elements, the cooling requirement is expected to rise significantly. It is therefore important to understand cooling processes well so that this side of development can keep up with the chip developers.

One effective method for cooling is the “nucleate boiling” method, where heat is transferred from a solid into a liquid, which then undergoes a phase transition, and the heat is carried away from the surface by a vapor bubble. If too much heat is added though, a then thermally resistive vapor layer is formed instead and the solid wall is liable to overheat. We are seeking to understand how the microscopic roughness and surface chemistry of this solid/liquid boundary will affect the heat transfer mechanism.

Using a technique called “surface plasmon microscopy,” we expect to be able to detect density fluctuations in the fluid immediately adjacent to the solid and thereby observe bubble interactions.

About Me

I’m a native Midwesterner, having lived in Indiana and Illinois for all but one year of my life. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN, where I received strong training in optics.

I enjoy personal sports like kayaking, bicycling, and climbing, and always enjoy a good game of soccer (although I’m not any good).

I love to travel. I’ve been to all 3 countries in North America and most of Western Europe. I actually lived in Germany for a year, which was really cool because I got to meet and hang out literally with people from every inhabited continent.

I love music too, both listening to and making music. I’ve sung in choirs my entire life and it’s alleged that I can play piano and guitar. When it comes to listening to music, I must confess that over the last 5 years, I’ve developed a taste for country music, but I also like groups like Rockaccapella and The Wise Guys.