Dr Thomas Lippert

Head of the Materials Group, in the Department of General Energy Research

Paul Scherrer Institut

PH: 41 (56) 3104076
Email: [email protected]
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Background

• Functional thin oxide films deposited by laser ablation (pulsed laser deposition - PLD), especially for renewable energy applications such as fuel cells and batteries.
• In-situ spectroscopies during ablation and thin film deposition (plasma spectroscopies: emission and mass spectrometry).
• Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of functional materials (e.g. for sensors).
• Thin film analysis by SIMS.
• Applications of laser ablation ranging from fundamental studies to structuring/laser transfer, especially in the field of polymers.
• Design of polymers for laser applications.
• Spectroscopies (UV-Vis-NIR, IR, Raman, Raman-microscopy, TOF-MS) in connection with laser ablation, including surface analysis methods (XPS, SERS, SIMS). Surface modifications, especially of polymers, using photons (lasers and excimer lamps).

Major Publications

• A. Palla Papavlu, V. Dinca, T. Lippert, M. Dinescu, Laser induced forward transfer for materials patterning, Rom. Rep. in Physics, 63, 1285 (2011).
• M. Esposito, M. Bator, M. Döbeli, T. Lippert, C. W. Schneider, A. Wokaun, Negative ions: The overlooked species in thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition, Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 191501 (2011).
• J. R. H. Shaw-Stewart, B. Chu, T. Lippert, Y. Maniglio, M. Nagel, F. Nüesch, A. Wokaun, Improved laser-induced forward transfer of organic semiconductor thin films by reducing the environmental pressure and controlling the substrate-substrate gap width, Appl. Phys. 105, 713 (2011).
• S. Canulescu, E. Papadopoulou, D. Anglos, T. Lippert*, M. J. Montenegro, S. Georgiou, M. Döbeli, A. Wokaun, Plume emission induced by fs and ns laser ablation of La_0.6Ca_0.4CoO₃ target: Comparisons between plume dynamics, Appl. Phys. A 105, 167 (2011).
• I. Marozau, A. Shkabko, M. Döbeli, T. Lippert*, M. Mallepell, C.W. Schneider, A. Weidenkaff, A. Wokaun, Pulsed laser deposition and characterisation of perovkite-type LaTiO_3-xN_x thin films, Acta Mat. 59, 7145 (2011).
• F. Simmen, A. Foelske, P. Verma, M. Horisberger, Th. Lippert*, P. Novák, A. Wokaun, Surface layer formation on Li_1+xMn₂O_4-? films during electrochemical cycling under various conditions, Electrochim. Acta 56, 8539 (2011).
• K. Rodrigo, S. Heiroth, N. Pryds, L. Theil Kuhn, V. Esposito, S. Linderoth, J. Schou, T. Lippert, The effects of thermal annealing on the structure and the electrical transport properties of ultrathin gadolinia-doped ceria films grown by pulsed laser deposition, Appl. Phys. A 104, 845 (2011).
• P. Frank, J. Shaw-Stewart, T. Lippert, J. Boneberg, P. Leiderer, Laser-induced ablation dynamics and flight of thin polymer films, Appl. Phys. A 104, 579 (2011).
• S. Heiroth, R. Frison, J. L. M. Rupp, T. Lippert*, E. Barthazy, E. Müller, M. Döbeli, K. Conder, A. Wokaun, L. J. Gauckler, Crystallization and grain growth characteristics of yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition, Solid State Ionics 191, 12 (2011).
• J. Shaw Stewart, T. Lippert, M. Nagel, F. Nüesch, A. Wokaun, Laser-induced forward transfer of polymer light-emitting diode pixels with increased charge injection, Appl. Mater. & Interfaces 3, 309 (2011).

Significant Employment History

• Senior lecturer, ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry [2002-present].
• Laser subject matter expert at PSI (06/2005 to present).
• Head of Materials Group, Paul Scherrer Institut [2002-present]: Deposition of thin films (mainly oxides which are relevant for energy applications) by PLD; plasma analysis by laser emission and mass spectroscopy; LIFT of functional materials (sensors, OLEDs), thin film analysis by SIMS.
• Senior Scientist, Paul Scherrer Institut [1999 -- 2001]: Design and test of polymers for laser ablation, microoptical elements fabricated by laser ablation, structuring of carbon materials for fuel cell electrodes, PLD of catalysts for battery applications, laser emission spectroscopy.
• Technical Staff Member, Division of Chemical Science and Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, [1998 - 1999]: Temperature jump experiments with high explosives, studied with ps infrared spectroscopy. Member of the HERCULES (High Explosive Reaction Chemistry via Ultrafast Laser Excited Spectroscopies) team.
• Director's Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Chemical Science and Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, [1995 -1998]: The study of laser materials interactions, especially of highly energetic materials with time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Division of Chemical Science and Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, [1995]: The study of laser ablation of doped polymers and novel polymers with picosecond infrared spectroscopy.
• Science and Technology Agency (STA) of Japan / Alexander v. Humboldt (AvH) Postdoctoral Fellow: Laser-induced Reaction Group, National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research (NIMC), Tsukuba, Japan, [1994 -- 1995]: The study of chemical and physical changes of novel photopolymers, after laser irradiation using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy and FT-Raman spectroscopy.
• Industrial Postdoctoral Fellow, Wacker Chemistry, Burghausen, Germany. [1993 -- 1994]: Study of the photochemical activation of Pt- catalysts for hydrosilylation reactions, as an alternative to the usual thermal activated systems.