Welcome to the Hines Lab! Our research is aimed at understanding and controlling the evolution of surface morphology during chemical reactions such as etching and deposition. For example, one project is concerned with the production of atomically flat silicon surfaces from a variety of aqueous, fluorine-based etchants. Because these reactions are carried out far from equilibrium, the resulting morphologies are kinetically, not thermodynamically, controlled, and many unusual phenomena can be observed. We are trying to explain and predict these phenomena in a quantitative fashion. These studies require roughly equal amounts of experimentation, primarily involving statistical measurements of surface morphologies obtained with a scanning tunneling microscope, and computer simulations of the underlying atomic-scale processes.

In other studies, we are exploring new ways of using chemistry to control the behavior of nanoscale structures or to create new chemically controlled structures. We are also developing techniques to investigate surface chemistry which rely on the superb nanofabrication tools available at Cornell.

In the following pages, we will give you a brief glimpse of our current exploits. If you have further questions, please contact us.