Nano-Characterization

In the Stanford Nanocharacterization Lab, Mechanical Engineering Professor Xiaolin Zheng, is studying nanowires “decorated” with tiny particles in a way that could lead to better batteries, solar cells and catalysts.

An expert at both the theory and practice of electron microscopy. An outstanding woman scientist who has mentored, nurtured and trained generations of graduate students. A talented and dedicated professional who runs an outstanding research enterprise.

Those are some of the many accolades bestowed upon Ann F. Marshall, winner of the 2012 Marshall D. O'Neill Award, which honors staff members who have made outstanding contributions to Stanford's research mission.

Engineers would love to create flexible electronic devices, such as e-readers that could be folded to fit into a pocket. One approach involves designing circuits based on electronic fibers known as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) instead of rigid silicon chips.

But reliability is essential. Most silicon chips are based on a type of circuit design that allows them to function flawlessly even when the device experiences power fluctuations. However, it is much more challenging to do so with CNT circuits.