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Crystalline and vitreous silica films and their interconversion

Objective

Silicon is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust. Its oxide, silica (SiO2) is the basis for most minerals of the earth’s crust, and also for a number of technological applications ranging from window glass, via electronics to catalysis. The structure of crystalline materials such as quartz or silica-based minerals is well understood due to the application of scattering techniques such as x-ray or neutron diffraction, for example, which allow accurate structure determinations. Silica, however, also forms glasses, which are amorphous or vitreous. Its structure is not well understood. In fact, diffraction techniques have only been able to deliver pair correlation functions, which reveal the density of a material around a given atom, but do not allow a detailed reconstruction of the atomic structure as in the case of crystalline materials. Until recently, a real space image of a silica glass with atomic resolution had not been recorded. Using scanning probe techniques applied to a thin silica film grown atomically flat on a metal substrate, it has been possible to reveal, for the first time, an atomically resolved image of vitreous silica. Both, a crystalline as well as a vitreous phase have been imaged. With this system, it is now possible to address the transition from a vitreous state to a crystal-line in real space by developing a scanning probe microscope that allows the study of its structure over a wide range of temperatures ranging from cryogenic temperatures to 1500 K. It is the purpose of this grant application to build such a device and apply it to the crystal-glass transition and the study of vibrational properties. This instrument may also be used to address a number of scientific problems related to other glass-formers, such as borates and the influence of silica modifications by atom doping, for example.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2014-ADG

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Host institution

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 484 375,00
Address
HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 484 375,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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