A researcher at the Cockrell School of Engineering is continuing a legacy of battery science that began right here at The University of Texas at Austin.
Published by the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Bahadur Research Group, run by Vaibhav Bahadur, a professor in Mechanical Engineering and faculty affiliate of TMI, collaborated with the Bureau of Economic Geology to produce a whitepaper analyzing water requirements for data centers in Texas. The paper looked at evolving demands of water use in data center infrastructure in Texas, as well as possible solutions to meeting future needs.
Three TMI Faculty Members Promoted
Three TMI-affiliated faculty members were promoted this past month. Yijin Liu, Michael Cullinan, and Vaibhav Bahadur were all promoted from Associate to full Professor. Congratulations!
Devleena Samanta, an assistant professor in Chemistry and TMI faculty affiliate, was selected by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement's 2026 Cottrell Scholar. The Cottrell Scholar program "honors and helps to develop oustanding teacher-scholars" who are see as leaders in their field for the "quality and innovation of their research programs and their potential for academic leadership."
Alexander Demkov, CEO of La Luce Cristallina, has published an article in PIC Magazine, further highlighting the company’s growing influence in the photonics industry. The article appears in the current issue of the magazine, on page 24.
Siddhartha Nanda, a Materials Science & Engineering graduate student and member of Dr. Hadi Khani's lab, has just had an article published in Energy & Environmental Science that answers the important question, "Is a non-flammable electrolyte safer?"
Graduate Student Appreciation Week | April 6-10
New TMI Equipment:
Raith 150 Two High-Resolution Electron Beam Lithography System
In November 2025, Texas Materials Institute (TMI) successfully completed the installation and certification of a high-resolution Electron-Beam Lithography (EBL) system, the Raith 150TWO, in its cleanroom within the Faulkner Nanoscience and Technology (FNT) Building (Figure 1). This 2009 system, donated to TMI by New York University, restores a critical nanofabrication capability that has been absent since the decommissioning of TMI’s previous EBL system in 2013.
The Raith 150TWO is an ultra-high resolution, low voltage (0.1 – 30 keV) EBL tool. The tool is capable of writing sub-10 nm features, field stitching of ~ 25 nm, overlay alignment better than 40 nm, and can pattern structures over a 150 mm diameter wafer (Figure 2). Additionally, the system is also capable of fixed beam moving stage (FBMS) exposures, handling 7-inch masks, and automatic focus correction.
In addition to the Raith 150TWO, TMI’s lithography suite includes two SUSS MA6 optical lithography systems, a Bruker SF-100 laser writer, and a Fujifilm inkjet printer. These complementary tools enable a wide range of fabrication approaches, from high-throughput micro- and nanoscale patterning to rapid prototyping and direct-write patterning of functional materials, providing researchers with flexible options for both exploratory research and scalable device fabrication.
Together, this comprehensive lithography infrastructure significantly expands TMI’s research capabilities, allowing faculty and students to pursue cutting-edge projects in nanotechnology, materials science, photonics, and applied physics. By providing access to state-of-the-art electron beam, optical, laser, and direct-write lithography, TMI enhances its role as a hub for interdisciplinary nanofabrication research, accelerates prototype development, and strengthens its ability to support both internal research programs and external collaborations seeking advanced fabrication capabilities.
System Specifications
• 30 kV system equipped with a Zeiss Gemini electron column
• Multiple aperture sizes for beam current tunning (5 pA to 20 nA)
• Laser interferometer stage with 2 nm precision resolution
• Stage travel range: 150 x150 x 20 mm
• Beam size: 2.2 nm in X and Y at 20 kV; less than 10 nm for 1 kV
• Maximum write field: 100 x 100 μm (beam deflection, no stage movement)
• Available detectors: Everhart-Thornley Detector, Annular in-lens detector
• Universal sample holder (UHS): sample holder for chips and fragments
• The system is enclosed in an environmentally controlled enclosure.
System performance
• Minimum features are less than 20 nm guaranteed; can easily get 12 nm.
• Demonstrated 8.2 nm feature size when using Hydrogen Silsesquioxane (HSQ) resist
• Stitching accuracy for a 100 μm write field: 11.9 nm
• Overlay accuracy for a 100 μm write field: 26.2 nm
The patterning is controlled using the Raith Nanosuite software package. The software provides full control of the EBL system as well as integrating design files (GDSII, DXF or Raith native) for lithography. A second license is installed on a second computer in the cleanroom to support pattern design.
Available resists
• Positive resist: Poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA 950 A4 (4% solution in anisole)
o thickness 100 – 200 nm.
o Developer: MIBK:IPA 1:3 ratio
o 200- 500 μC/cm2
Training
To receive training on the Raith EBL, please contact Raluca Gearba at gearba@austin.utexas.edu to first discuss your project. A training class is available on UTLearn: TMI: Raith150Two_EBL. Before registering for the training class the users will need to complete the Cleanroom Safety Training which is also available on UTLearn. To register for the class, the users will need to do the following:
• Login in UTLearn using your UTEID
• Do a global search as “TMI”
• Select the desired class
• Press the “Select a Session” tab
• Select “View Details”
• Press “Request
Graduate School Fellowship Recipient
Spring 2026 MSE 397 Seminar Series
"Real-time electrocatalytic control of C-H and C-C bond transformation and fuel formation"
Wednesday, April 8 at 12pm
EER 1.528
Dr. Hyongsok Tom Soh, Stanford
"Molecular Biosensor Technology"
Wednesday, April 15 at 12pm
EER 1.528
Dr. Eilam Yalon, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
More Information Coming Soon!
Wednesday, April 22 at 12pm
EER 1.528
Spring Social Event
Faculty Spotlight: Andrea Pickel
Bio:
Andrea Pickel joined the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in January 2026. Her research focuses on harnessing luminescent probes and spectroscopic techniques to develop micro and nanoscale thermal metrology for challenging operating environments. Current applications of interest include device thermal management, catalysis, and crystallization. Andrea is the recipient of an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) Doctoral New Investigator Award (2020), a Furth Fund Award (2021), and an NSF CAREER Award (2022), and she was named a Scialog Fellow for Automating Chemical Laboratories (2024). Her teaching contributions have been recognized with the G. Graydon Curtis ’58 and Jane W. Curtis Award for Non-Tenured Faculty Teaching (2023). Andrea received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019, where she was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and a UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Fellowship. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with University and College Honors from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014. Prior to joining UT Austin, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester from 2019-2025.
How did you become interested in Materials Science Engineering?
While my degrees are in Mechanical Engineering, I did undergraduate research with a group in the Materials Science and Engineering department for several years. This experience sparked my interest in pursuing materials-related research, first as a graduate student and continuing with my independent research career.
What has made the biggest impact on your career? (A person, a class you took, an experiment you did, etc.)
I was very fortunate that Carnegie Mellon, my undergraduate institution, had hired several fantastic faculty members in the area of nanoscale heat transfer shortly before I arrived, which had a major impact on my career. I really enjoyed my undergraduate heat transfer course taught by one of those faculty members and subsequently was able to take several graduate courses related to nanoscale heat transfer, which got me excited about the field and led me to pursue graduate studies in this area.
Advice for other researchers or graduate students (in MSE or just more generally)?
I always recommend being open-minded about the specific research topics you work on and taking advantage of opportunities to explore new areas. My PhD research ended up having a different focus than I originally envisioned, which ultimately took my work into some interesting new directions and laid the foundation for much of the research my group does today.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?
Outside of work, I like to take dance classes (primarily ballet, along with some jazz and tap) and go rock climbing. I’ve also been enjoying exploring Austin by bike and on foot, and I’m looking forward to paddle boarding as well.
Distinguished Lectureship Seminar
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Graduate School April Events
- Graduate Job Search Working Group: Finding Opportunities: April 1 | 11 a.m. to noon | FAC 2.134
- Edge AI Hackathon: From Idea to Prototype: April 3 | 12 to 4pm | Off-Campus
- UT Energy Week Case Competition: April 6-9 | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week Lunch: April 6 | 12:30 to 2 p.m. | WCP Ballroom 2.412
- Coffee and Connections Hour : April 14 | 3 to 4 p.m | FAC 2.134
- Graduate Job Search Working Group: Optimizing Your LinkedIn: April 15 | 11 a.m. to noon | FAC 2.138
- Graduate Job Search Working Group: Tailoring Your Resume/Cover Letter: April 22 | 11 a.m. to noon | FAC 2.138
- International Job Search Working Group: April 23 | 3 to 4 p.m. | FAC 2.134
Spring 2026 Academic Dates
- Last day to apply for a graduate degree & last day for new doctoral candidates to change registration to dissertation: April 10
- Last day to change grade status to or from the credit/no credit basis: April 13
- Last day to submit final paperwork to the Graduate School for graduation: April 24
- Last class day. This is the last day to drop a class or withdraw from the spring semester: April 27
