Advanced Materials and Microsystems

We work at the convergence of materials science and micro- and nanoscale engineering to develop microsystems with novel functionality. We develop materials, microfabrication processes, and multifunctional microsystems, with the aim to leverage properties at the small scale in everything we do. Our activities range from forming metamaterials and phase-change materials, to integrating optoelectronic devices in unusual form factors such as fibers and fabrics, to developing microfluidic devices based on electrowetting, to creating new materials and new processes for 3D printing. Our application space is equally broad: it encompasses low-cost picosatellites fabricated in a silicon foundry, advanced fibers that can sense and communicate and be woven into clothing, energy-efficient microhydraulic actuators for micro-robotics, optofluidics for enhanced eyewear, and energy storage and energy harvesting components. Our high-impact work is enabled by the Microelectronics Laboratory, the Defense Fabric Discovery Center, and other cleanroom facilities at the Laboratory.