Rubloff, Gary
Minta Martin Professor of Engineering
Director, Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage
Fellow, APS
Fellow, AVS
The Institute for Systems Research
Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics
Maryland Energy Innovation Institute
Electrical and Computer Engineering
EDUCATION
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Physics, Brown University, 1971-73
- Ph.D., Physics, University of Chicago, 1971
- M.S., Physics, University of Chicago, 1967
- B.A., Physics, Dartmouth College, 1966
BACKGROUND
Dr. Rubloff has published more than 200 papers, holds 21 patents and holds 6 IBM Invention Achievement Awards. He won the AVS Gaede-Langmuir Prize in 2000 "for inventive application of surface science and vacuum technology to the semiconductor industry, and for fostering an effective bridge between AVS research and manufacturing." This award was established 1977 to recognize and encourage outstanding discoveries and inventions in the sciences and technologies of interest to the AVS. He is a Fellow of APS and AVS. His research has included solid state physics, surface physics and chemistry, interfaces, semiconductor materials and processing science and technology, process diagnostics and modeling, manufacturing science, combinatorial materials science, biomaterials and bioMEMS. His semiconductor process research has emphasized the elucidation of chemical and physical mechanisms involved in surface cleaning, thermal oxidation, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma etching, and in pursing these directions he pioneered the exploitation of ultrahigh vacuum process environments and their integration with in-situ surface and interface diagnostics.
Dr. Rubloff received his B.A. in Physics magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1966, his M.S. in 1967 and his Ph.D. in 1971 in Physics from the University of Chicago. He held a postdoctoral position in Physics at Brown University from 1971 to 1973. In 1973 he joined IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, as a Research Staff Member in the Physical Sciences Department, were he worked on surface and interface science. In 1984-85 he served as Technical Assistant to the IBM Research Vice-President for Logic and Memory, and from 1985 to 1991 he continued his research while serving in several capacities as Manager of exploratory materials and processing in the Silicon Technology Department. From 1992-1993 he was Manager of Thin Film Process Modeling in the Manufacturing Research Department. From 1992 to 1997 he was also Professor Adjunct in Electrical Engineering at Yale University.
He joined academia in 1993 as Associate Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Advanced Electronic Materials Processing and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University, focusing on real-time process sensing, simulation, optimization, and control.
In 1996 he joined the University of Maryland as Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research. He served as Director of the Institute from 1996 to 2001. In 2004 he was named Minta Martin Professor of Engineering and assumed the position of founding Director of the Maryland NanoCenter. He is also an affiliate faculty member of the the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP), the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Dr. Rubloff was the founding Chairman of the AVS Manufacturing Science and Technology Group from 1992-1997 and continues to serve on its Executive Committee. He has been a member of the Metrology Technical Working Group for the SIA's National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors since its inception in 1994. He has been active in professional society work, including the Board of Directors of the AVS, Executive Committees of the AVS Electronic Materials and Processing Division, the APS Materials Physics Division, and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. He has long been active in civic affairs, included 11 years service as an elected Member, Vice-President, and President of a local Board of Education in New York State.
Prior to joining the faculty of the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, Professor Rubloff served as the associate director of North Carolina State University's NSF Engineering Research Center for Advanced Electronic Materials Processing and as an adjunct professor of electrical engineering at Yale University. Before pursuing a career in academia, he served for 20 years in a variety of research and management positions at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Professor Rubloff is a past director of the Institute for Systems Research, of which he remains an active member.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- AVS Gaede-Langmuir Prize, 2000 “for the inventive application of surface science and vacuum technology to the semiconductor industry, and for fostering an effective bridge between AVS research and manufacturing”. This award is presented biennially “to recognize and encourage outstanding discoveries and inventions in the sciences and technologies of interest to the American Vacuum Society."
- Fellow of the American Physical Society (1986)
- Fellow of AVS (formerly American Vacuum Society) (1993)
- Six IBM Invention Achievement Awards
- IBM Research Division Award for MCP Chromium Metallurgy, 1986
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- APS
- AVS
- IEEE
- MRS
Professor Rubloff has been very active in industry and consortium activities, consulting, professional societies, government agency activities (including the DOE and NSF), and in service to the University of Maryland through advising, teaching, and his participation in department, college and university-level committees. He has also served on the editorial boards of a variety of publications, and on professional conference program committees. Please see Professor Rubloff's C.V. (PDF) for a complete list of his academic, industrial, government and community service activities.
- Multifunctional nanostructures for energy storage and capture
- Atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, mechanisms, and technology
- Nanoscale devices for quantum computing
For detailed information about these projects, please visit Professor Rubloff's website.
Nanostructures and Energy Applications
- Nanostructures for Energy Devices
- Characterization of multilayer structures in nanopores
- AAO-ALD nanodevices and energy systems
Electronic Materials and Processes
- Atomic layer deposition (ALD)
- ALD-based Josephson junctions for quantum computing
- Programmable and combinatorial chemical vapor deposition
- Semiconductor materials, processing, and characterization
Nanomanufacturing
- Sensing and advanced process control for widegap semiconductor growth
- Real-time chemical process sensing for metrology and advanced process control
- Simulation and optimization in dynamic process systems
Professor Rubloff currently teaches or has taught the following courses:
- ENMA 465: Microprocessing of Materials (also offered as ENMA 489B)
- ENMA 490: Materials Design: Capstone Design Course
- ENMA 659S: Systems Design for Microelectronics Manufacturing Processes (also offered as "Materials and Processes for Microelectronics")
Please visit Professor Rubloff's web site to learn more about his industry short courses and courses he has taught for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Professor Rubloff has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers. For a complete list of publications, please visit his web site
- “Integration of Diverse Biological Materials in Micro/Nano Devices”, Reza Ghodssi, Peter Dykstra, Mariana Meyer, Stephan Koev, Konstantinos Gerasopoulos, Xiaolong Luo, Gary Rubloff, William Bentley, Gregory Payne, James Culver, Advanced Materials and Technologies for Micro/Nano-Devices, Sensors and Actuators, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics. ISBN 978-90-481-3805-0. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2010, p. 275; DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-3807-4_22
- “Structural, electrical, and optical properties of atomic layer deposition Al-doped ZnO films”, Parag Banerjee, Won-Jae Lee, Ki Ryeol Bae, Sang Bok Lee, and Gary W. Rubloff, J.Appl. Phys. 108 (4), 043504 (17 Aug 2010), DOI: 10.1063/1.3466987.
- “Chitosan: An Integrative Biomaterial for Lab-on-a-chip Devices”, S. T. Koev, P. H. Dykstra, X. Luo, G.W. Rubloff, W.E. Bentley, G.F. Payne, and R. Ghodssi, Lab on a Chip 10, 3026-3042 (2010), DOI: 10.1039/C0LC00047G.
- “Biofabrication to build the biology-device interface”, Yi Liu, Eunkyoung Kim, Reza Ghodssi, Gary W. Rubloff, James N. Culver, William E. Bentley, and Gregory F. Payne, Biofabrication 2, 1-21, 022002, DOI: 10.1088/1758-5082/2/2/022002.
- “Profile evolution for conformal atomic layer deposition over nanotopography”, Erin R. Cleveland, Parag Banerjee, Israel Perez, Sang Bok Lee, and Gary W. Rubloff, ACS Nano (14 Jul 2010), DOI: 10.1021/nn1009984
- “In situ quantitative visualization and characterization of chitosan electrodeposition with paired sidewall electrodes”, Yi Cheng, Xiaolong Luo, Jordan Betz, Susan Buckhout-White, Omar Bekdash, Gregory F. Payne, William E. Bentley, and Gary W. Rubloff, Soft Matter 6, 3177-3183 (2010), DOI:10.1039/C0SM00124D.
- “Chitosan to electroaddress biological components in lab-on-a-chip devices”, Y. Liu, X.-W. Shi, E. Kim, L. M. Robinson, C. K. Nye, R. Ghodssi, G. W. Rubloff, W. E. Bentley, and G. F. Payne, Carbohydrate Polymers (2010); DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.03.038.
- “In-Film Bioprocessing and Immunoanalysis with Electroaddressable Stimuli-Responsive Polysaccharides”, Xiaohua Yang, Eunkyoung Kim, Yi Liu, Xiao-Wen Shi, Gary W. Rubloff, Reza Ghodssi, William E. Bentley, Zeev Pancer, and Gregory F. Payne, Adv. Functional Mat. 20, 1645-1652 (2010), DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200902092
- “Biological nanofactories facilitate spatially-selective capture and manipulation of quorum sensing bacteria in a bioMEMS device”, Rohan Fernandes, Xiaolong Luo, Chen-Yu Tsao, Reza Ghodssi, Gary W. Rubloff, and William E. Bentley, Lab on Chip 10, 1128-1134 (2010), DOI: 10.1039/b926846d
- “ALD-based Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) Nanocapacitors for Energy Storage", Parag Banerjee, Israel Perez, Laurent Henn-Lecordier, Sang Bok Lee,and Gary Rubloff, ECS Transactions 25 (4), 345-353 (2009).
UMD Start-Up Ionic Devices Wins Microbattery Design Prize
One of Eight Awarded by US Department of EnergyTen Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists
Elsevier releases updated science-wide database10 Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists
Report prepared by Stanford University experts.UMD Makes U.S. DOE Solar District Cup Finals
The Solar District Cup challenges multidisciplinary student teams to design and model optimized distributed energy systems for a campus or urban district.UMD Research Team Advances the Battery Revolution
Solid state energy storage research receives $2.25M in DOE funding.MEI2 leads U.S. side of $18.4M U.S.-Israel Energy Center focused on Energy Storage
Project will Develop Lithium and Sodium Metal Solid State Batteries for Advanced Energy Storage ApplicationsEmily Hitz Named by Nature as One of Five Early Career Researchers in Materials Science
Hitz is an MSE Ph.D. student, advised by Liangbing Hu, conducting research on solid-state batteries.A New Dimension for Batteries
Nanostructured battery is safe, manufacturing-compatible, and delivers much higher power at high energyEFRC NEES-2 meeting poster contest winners
Accomplishments meeting announces poster awardsUMD Researchers Focus Energy on Current Collector Improvements
Research paper published in Advanced Energy Materials.MSE Students Selected as Finalists for the 2017 Collegiate Inventors Competition
Stretchable Silicon Photovoltaics is a new design for silicon solar cells.MSE PhD Student Receives 3-Year NASA Fellowship
Emily Hitz is one of only five recipients of Aeronautics Scholarships and Advanced STEM Training and Research Fellowship.Alexander Pearse wins Dean's Doctoral Research Award
Advised by Gary Rubloff, his research is titled, "Development of Vapor-Phase Deposited Three Dimensional All-Solid-State Batteries."7th Annual Engineering Sustainability Day focuses on Energy Storage
This year's theme focused on energy storage - pervasive message that we should promote and advocate for scientists and the science.Rubloff Discusses UMD Energy Storage Center and Energy Science Hot Topics
UMD prof and center director on Electrochemical Society meeting podcastExperts available for comment on upcoming Nobels
Lithium-ion batteries and nanowires are candidates for chemistry and physics prizes; UMD scientists can explain importanceMesoscale Science Research Highlighted on Materials Journal Cover
Rubloff and Lee show new direction in electrical energy storageNew Battery Demonstrates “Sweet Spot” of Electrolyte Thickness and Composition
Atom-scale synthesis makes highly conductive LiPON for solid-state batteryReza Ghodssi named AVS Fellow
Citation reads: "For outstanding leadership in microsystems technology achieved by combining knowledge of materials and processing, innovative device concepts, and diverse applications."Thin coatings controlled at atomic scale protect high performance lithium anodes
Anodes with layer of alumina resist corrosion and cycle wellMembers of NEES Gather for 2015 Spring Accomplishment Meeting
Poster session, in-depth discussions, presentations.... and hikingFood Safety, Energy Storage & Video Authentication Inventions Honored at Awards Ceremony
Three Clark School innovations win UMD Invention of the Year AwardsA Billion Holes Can Make a Battery
Battery inside a nanopore has commercial potentialAtomic Layer Depostion and Graphene Inspire Creative Catalyst Design
Hulka Energy Research Fellowship supports MSE student's design of new photoelectrochemical composites.UMD Nets a DOE Award for Innovative Energy Research Projects
Projects will help enable advances in energy production and useSave the Date: NanoDay, June 11 -- Poster Session, Plenaries, EM Workshops and More
Registration and poster abstract submission will open soonNSF Grants for Graphene Research Awarded to Hu, Rubloff
Research at the nano-scale nets university over half-million dollars in fundingNano ‘Beads on a String’ Could Advance Battery Technology
Pulsing with lithium, tiny silicon beads on a nanotube hold promise for better batteriesNanoCenter Members Present Papers at Upcoming APS Meeting in Baltimore
Largest physics meeting hosts more than twenty NanoCenter presentations2012 Energy Research Fellows Announced
Awards will fund diverse sustainable energy research projectsClark School researchers figure prominently in atomic layer deposition story
Chemical & Engineering News highlights expansion of the coating technology.Controlling chemistry improves potential of carbon nanotubes
Nanotechnology breakthrough could lead to better batteries, more sensitive biosensors.Systems Researchers Partner with Trento, Italy
Joint efforts to target bioengineering, renewable energy, nanomaterials, microsystems, education.Rubloff quoted in story about DOE Energy Frontiers Research Centers
Rubloff says science should be "more use-inspired."Banerjee's Self-Powered Solar Circuits Featured in Sierra Magazine
Article covers grad student's development of components for computers, phones, and other devices that don't require electricity, batteries or solar cells.Galloway, Gregorczyk, Gremillion awarded L-3 Graduate Research Fellowships
Fellowships support Ph.D. candidates working in specific research areas.Espy-Wilson, Rubloff Are Top UM Inventors
Speech enhancing algorithm, high-density energy storage cells named best of '09.A Solar-Powered Circuit, But No Solar Cell Required
Breakthrough technology could lead to new light-powered devices.Reza Ghodssi guest edits special issue of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics
'Special Proceeding' issue focuses on energy harvesting.Clark School hosts PowerMEMS 2009 attendees for luncheon, lab tours
Six laboratories showcased in special tours.UMERC/Nanocenter Team Named "Energy Frontier" Center
DOE to award $14M for nanotech storage technology crucial to renewable energy success.NanoCenter Improves Energy Storage Options
Maryland NanoCenter researchers create new device to store electrical energy.Banerjee Named John and Maureen Hendricks Energy Research Fellow
Fellowship benefits Great Expectations campaign.- APS, 1986
- AVS, 1993