UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1201

Submission information
Submission Number: 1201
Submission ID: 20601
Submission UUID: 9dc6874f-1497-470f-bb19-d728e3919cba

Created: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 04:24 PM
Completed: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 04:27 PM
Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 12:50 PM

Remote IP address: 68.59.55.125
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Primary Research Mentor Name Mehrdad Kiani
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) mkiani@fsu.edu
Position Title Faculty
FSU College (if applicable) FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Materials Science and Engineering
Headshot (optional)
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above)
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable)
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Title of the Project Materials Screening for Interconnects
Project Keywords Microelectronics, Materials, Computing, Engineering
Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed 1
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Engineering, Physics, Chemistry
Project Location: IRCB, College of Engineering
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? FSU Bus
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 5-10
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description Increasing computing needs driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning applications require faster processing speeds and more energy-efficient microelectronics. The high resistivity of interconnects, which are the wires that connect transistors, are a major bottleneck for increasing processing speeds in modern computer chips. For continued Moore's law scaling, new interconnect materials are needed that decrease resistivity and mitigate electromigration at <40 nm length scales. In this project, you will fabricate and test new candidate interconnect compounds at the nanoscale. After fabricating nanowires of various diameters, you will determine resistivity scaling with size and identify the most promising compounds for future microelectronics.
Research Tasks Literature review, lab work, materials characterization, analytical/computational modeling
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Understanding of electromagnetism and micro/electronics (such as intro Physics course).
Any previous lab work would be beneficial but not necessary.
Competency with Matlab or Python would be beneficial but not necessary.
Mentoring Philosophy The goal of the UROP is to do great research while cultivating your own skills as a future scientific and engineering leader. My lab's culture and mentoring philosophy will embody the the following core principles:

-All skills are learnable with proper guidance and dedication.
-Research/scientific expertise is just half of the goal. I want every student to leave with the ability to effectively communicate scientific results, develop and foster new collaborations, and become strong writers.
-We strive for exciting research and innovation while never compromising on quality.
Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):
Please add any additional information here (if applicable):
Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links Tuesday September 2, 2:00-2:30 PM
fsu.zoom.us/j/9841704857
Roundtable Info
  • Day: Tuesday, September 2
    Start Time: 2:00
    End Time: 2:30
    Zoom Link: fsu.zoom.us/j/9841704857
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation Yes
Materials Grant Yes
UROP Poster Presentation Yes
Year 2025
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