Paul Fuierer, PhD

Aerosol deposition (AD) is a revolutionary way of producing thick ceramic films using a kinetic particle spray.  The deposition takes place at room temperature, occurs at a very rapid rate compared to other techniques, and can be done on virtually any substrate material.  The resultant ceramic coating is nano-crystalline and is fully dense.   Tremendous potential exists for sensing, catalytic, energy and tribology related applications. Fuierer’s group is leading this technology in the United States, while his German colleagues at the University of Bayreuth are leaders in Europe.  Together, they have designed new gas sensors and sensing materials.  Fuierer’s group is now focused on depositing functional ceramics of various type (e.g. Al₂O₃, TiO₂, NiO, LiCoO₃, MoS₂, Si) and exploring additional application areas for these unique films.  Also of interest is the multi-scale surface roughness and intrinsic stress state of the coatings.

Recent Publications

J. Adamczyk, P. Fuierer, Compressive Stress in Nano-crystalline Titania Films Deposited by Aerosol Deposition, Surfaces and Coating Technology (to be submitted).

P. Fuierer, M. Hinton, Aerosol method for coating the inside of tubing with a dense, nanocrystalline ceramic coating, Provisional Patent, WSGR Docket No. 47481-709.101, Nov. 2017, (patent pending).

J. Exner, M. Schubert, D. Hanft, T. Stoecker, P. Fuierer, R. Moos, Tuning of the electrical conductivity of Sr(Ti,Fe)O₃ oxygen sensing films by aerosol co-deposition with Al₂O₃, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 230 427-433 (2016).

Recent Presentations

P. Fuierer, Aerosol Deposition: Mechanical sintering of ceramics, one particle at a time, International Conference on SINTERING, San Diego, CA (Nov. 2017).

Ostlind, R. Calvo, P. Fuierer, Deposition of Thick Film Ceramics by Vacuum Kinetic Spray, 29th Rio Grande Symposium on Advanced Materials (RGSAM) 2017, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 2017).

J. Adamczyk, M. Hinton, R. Calvo, P. Fuierer, Intrinsic Stress in Aerosol Deposited TiO2 Films Measured by Substrate Bending, 44th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF), San Diego, CA (April, 2017).

P. Fuierer, Aerosol Deposition:  A top down approach to nano-ceramic thick films, NMT GSA Nanotechnology Symposium, NMT, (March 29, 2017).

Paul Fuierer (invited), Unique Thick Film Ceramic Microstructures Achievable by Aerosol Deposition, 43rd International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF), San Diego, CA (April, 2016).

Joerg Exner, M. Shubert, T. Stoecker, D. Hanft, R. Moos, P. Fuierer, Tuning of the electrical conductivity of Sr(Ti,Fe)O3 oxygen sensing films by aerosol co-deposition with Al2O3, 91st DKG Annual Conference & Symposium on High-Performanc Ceramics, Freiberg, Germany (March 2016).

Jesse Adamczyk, P. Sarobol, A. Vackel, T. Homes, P. Fuierer, Aerosol Deposition as a Method of Room Temperature Thick-Film Deposition, 28th Rio Grande Symposium on Advanced Materials (RGSAM) 2016, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 2016).

Bismuth vanadate ceramics, stabilized by partial substitution of V⁵⁺ with transition metal ions, exhibit high ionic conductivity at temperatures below 500°C. Fuierer’s research group has developed processing schemes using sinter forging and templated grain growth (tgg) to produce high density and partially textured polycrystalline Bi₂(V_0.9Cu_0.1)O_5.5-_δ ceramics. Bulk ceramics show high oxide ion conductivity (10^-1 Ωcm^-1) at 500°C. Long term stability of the conductivity at this temperature over a range of pO₂ was demonstrated for ceramics with small grain size and titanium co-doping.   Measured thermal expansion (16-20 ppm/°C), showing small anisotropy in textured samples, may be compatible with stainless steel in new low temperature, metal-supported SOFC designs.

Recent Publications

K. Ring, P. Fuierer, Non-equilibrium polyfoil platelets of copper and titanium substituted bismuth vanadate, Bi2V0.9(Cu0.1-xTix)O5.5-δ by molten salt synthesis, Crystals (to be submitted).

P. Fuierer, K. Ring, J. Exner, R. Moos, BICU(TI)VOX as a low/intermediate temperature SOFC electrolyte: Another look, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Ceramic Materials and Components for Energy and Environmental Applications, Vancouver, BC (June 2015),  published in Ceramics for Energy Conversion, Storage, and Distribution Systems: Ceramic Transactions, Eds. T. Pfeifer, J. Matyas, P. Balaya, D. Singh, J. Wei, Vol. 255 pp. 29-40 (2016).

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are 3^rd generation photovoltaics with great economic potential.  Multiscale and textured structures are required to maximize efficiencies, and new, inexpensive dyes are required to be cost effective.  This multi-pronged project involves developing manufacturing strategies to obtain out of plane texture in large area coatings.  Experiments investigate the tendency of fine metallic wires to orient vertically in the interstices of a monolayer of close-packed spheres.  Design of experiments and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used to identify main effects and conditions to achieve optimal orientation.  The other aspect is an investigation of natural rather than synthetic dyes to be incorporated into solar cells, and tests their performance.

Recent Publications

Ayan, A. Fairbrother, P. Fuierer, Vertical Orientation of Short Wires Using a Monolayer of Spheres, Particulate Sci. & Tech., 34 [6] pp. 744-753 (2016).

Recent Presentations

K. Obi, L. Frilova, P. Fuierer, Native New Mexico Fruits in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells, 29^th Rio Grande Symposium on Advanced Materials (RGSAM) 2017, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 2017).

Dissertation

Idil Ayan, Orientation of acicular particles at various length scales for functional films in dye sensitized solar cells, PhD Materials Engineering, Dec, 2016