Carnegie Mellon University

Marek Skowronski

Marek Skowronski

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Address
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

Bio

Research Areas: Inorganic Functional Materials | Manufacturing & Materials Microstructure

Professor Skowronski obtained his Ph.D. degree in Solid State Physics from Warsaw University (Warsaw, Poland). His post-doctoral appointment was at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he used junction spectroscopy to study compound semiconductors. This was followed by work at Cabot Corp. on growth of compound semiconductors. In 1988, he moved to Carnegie Mellon University where he focused on deposition of thin films for electronic applications, fabrication of devices for energy efficient electronics and neuromorphic computing, and electron microscopy.

Education

Ph.D., Warsaw University

Research

We aim to discover, understand, and fabricate novel materials, phenomena, and device structures for information technology. The overarching driving force for the group's research is increasing energy efficiency especially for applications in Artificial Intelligence. Specific research directions include artificial synapses for neuromorphic (brain-like) computing, non-volatile memory and logic devices, devices scalable beyond the current technology limits, and, in general, world of "more-than-Moore" electronics.

All projects are highly collaborative requiring interactions with and visits to other institutions. Ongoing collaborations include CMU’s Department of Electrical Engineering, Intel, IBM, IMEC, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

More-than-Moore:

https://www.nature.com/news/the-chips-are-down-for-moore-s-law-1.19338

 

Publications

“Thermal-gradient-driven elemental segregation in Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change memory cells”, P. Yeoh, Y. Ma, D. A. Cullen, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 163507 (2019)

"Intrinsic current overshoot during thermal-runaway threshold switching events in TaOx devices", J. M. Goodwill and M. Skowronski, J. Appl. Phys. 126, 035108 (2019)

“Quantification of compositional runaway during electroformation of TaOx resistive switching devices” Y. Ma, J. M. Goodwill, and M. Skowronski, 2019 IEEE Int. Memory Workshop, Monterey.

"Stable metallic enrichment in conductive filaments in TaOx-based resistive switches arising from competing diffusive fluxes", Ma, D. Li, D. A. Cullen, J. D. Poplawsky, K. L. More, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, Adv. Electron. Mater. 1800954 (2019)

"Spontaneous current constriction in threshold switching devices", M. Goodwill, G. Ramer, D. Li, B. D. Hoskins, G. Pavlidis, J. J. McClelland, A. Centrone, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, Nature Communications, 10, 1628 (2019)

"Formation of the conducting filament in TaOx-resistive switching devices by thermal-gradient-induced cation accumulation", Y. Ma, D. Li, A. A. Herzing, D. A. Cullen, B. T. Sneed, K. L. More, N. T. Nuhfer, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, ACS Appl. Mater. & Interfaces, 10, 23187 (2018)

"Switching dynamics of TaOx-based threshold switching devices", J. M. Goodwill, D. K. Gala, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, J. Appl. Phys. 123, 115105 (2018)

"Scaling behavior of oxide-based electrothermal threshold switching devices", Li, J. M. Goodwill, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, Nanoscale 9, 14139 (2017)

"ON state evolution in lateral and vertical VO2 threshold switching devices", Li, A. A. Sharma, N. Shukla, H. Paik, J. M. Goodwill, S. Datta, D. G. Schlom, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, Nanotechnology 28, 405201 (2017)

"Growth and electronic properties of nanolines on TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 (001) surfaces", W. Yan, W. Sitaputra, M. Skowronski, and R. M. Feenstra, J. Appl. Phys. 122, 124305 (2017)

"Electro-Thermal Model of Threshold Switching in TaOxBased Devices", J. M. Goodwill, A. Sharma, D. Li, J. A. Bain, and M. Skowronski, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9, 11704 (2017)

"Joule heating-induced metal-insulator transition in epitaxial VO2/TiO2 devices", D. Li, A. A. Sharma, D. K. Gala, N. Shukla, H. Paik, S. Datta, D. G. Schlom, J. A.Bain and M. Skowronski, ACS Appl. Mater. & Interfaces 8, 12908 (2016)

"Transient thermometry and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis of filamentary resistive switches", J. Kwon, A. A. Sharma, C. Y. Chen, A. Fantini, M. Jurczak, A. A. Herzing, J. A. bain, Y. N. Picard, and M. Skowronski, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8, 20176 (2016)