Dr Thomas Walther
CPhys, PhD, Dipl-Phys
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Reader in Advanced Electron Microscopy
3rd/4th year undergraduate project supervision and academic tutoring


+44 114 222 5891
Full contact details
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Profile
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I received my undergraduate degree in physics from RWTH Aachen in 1993 and my PhD in materials science from the University of Cambridge in 1996/97.
I was a postdoc at CEA Grenoble, Universit茅 d鈥橝ix-Marseille (both in France) and University of Bonn (in Germany) where I later became assistant professor in the chemistry department.
After a short spell at a new research centre where I sat up an electron microscopy lab in the same city, I joined the University of 葫芦影业 as Senior Lecturer in 2006 and was promoted to a readership in 2010.
My research focuses on electron microscopy as a fundamental tool to measure chemical changes at the interfaces between different materials with atomic resolution. This can produce fantastic images that directly show where the atoms are located!
My research is relevant for understanding epitaxial growth processes as well as degradation and failure of semiconductor devices, such as transistors, light-emitting diodes, lasers and solar cells: atoms can sometimes move to lattice positions where they should not be, their agglomeration producing extended lattice defects called dislocations that can multiply and finally lead to device failure.
These studies bridge the gap from fundamental science to applied engineering.
My research involves aspects of electron optics, solid state physics and inorganic chemistry as it combines different experimental methods of high-resolution analytical electron microscopy, based on inelastic electron scattering and X-ray photon generation, with detailed modelling of atomic movements in solids.
Presently, this methodology is expanded into materials for energy conversion and storage, such as electrodes in batteries.
- Qualifications
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- CPhys, Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
- PhD (Materials Science & Metallurgy), University of Cambridge, 1997
- Dipl.-Phys. (Physics), RWTH Aachen, Germany, 1993
- Research interests
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- Method development for analytical transmission electron microscopy, including energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy-loss spectroscopy
- Diffusion and segregation measurements in semiconductor nano-structures
- Lattice defects in quantum dots, nano-wires and quantum wells
- Characterization of doping, surface treatments, metal layers for plasmonics and oxides for energy storage applications
- Microstructural characterization of prototype electronic devices, such as photodiodes, field-effect transistors, quantum well, quantum dot or quantum cascade lasers, photovoltaic cells
- Engagement in electron microscopy societies and international conference organisation
- 19th MSM conference:
- 19th MSM conference:
- Publications
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Edited books
Journal articles
- Thermal Stability of ZnMgSSe/ZnSe Laser Heterostructures. Physica Status Solidi (A) Applied Research, 185(2), 301-308.
- Study of sulphur diffusion in ZnMgSSe/ZnSe quantum wells by energy-loss imaging in a transmission electron microscope. Physica Status Solidi (A) Applied Research, 180(1), 351-356.
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Patents
Reports
Theses / Dissertations
- Research group
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Semiconductor Materials and Devices
- Teaching activities
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- EEE345 - Engineering Electromagnetics
- EEE6212 - Semiconductor Materials
- EEE6216 - Energy Efficient Semiconductor Devices
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Fellow - RMS, IoP
- Member EM Section Committee of RMS
- Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Microscopy
- Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Spectroscopy
- Member of Editorial Board, Electronics
- Responsible for installing two aberration corrected electron microscopy facilities, in Bonn (2004-06) and in 葫芦影业 (2009-11).
- Research students
Student Degree Status Primary/Secondary Guo R PhD Current Primary Luo P PhD Current Secondary Yan H PhD Current Secondary Wang X PhD Graduated Primary Amari H PhD Graduated Primary Angadi V PhD Graduated Primary Parri M C PhD Graduated Primary Qiu Y PhD Graduated Primary Taghi Khani A PhD Graduated Primary Zhang H PhD Graduated Primary