
Associate Professor of Chemistry and (by courtesy) of
Materials Science and Engineering
B.S. Chemistry, Stanford University, 1996
Ph.D. Chemical Physics, Harvard University, 2001
Contact
Odom Research Group
Nanoscale patterning combined with chemical synthesis
The study of systems with nanometer dimensions is an exciting area of research
that offers opportunities for innovation and creativity. One challenge that
nanotechnology currently faces is the development of tools to manipulate nanoscale
building blocks into useful structures over large areas. This control requires
a detailed understanding over several length scales in order to achieve (i)
precise nanoscale (1-100 nm) manipulation, (ii) assembly into mesoscale (100-1000
nm) strucures, and (iii) connection to the macroscopic (mm). Our approach to
this problem is to create patterned, functional arrays on surfaces that can
assist in the growth and manipulation of nanomaterials. We focus on a wide
range of inorganic nanostructures, with a particular emphasis on nanoscale
metal chalcogenide materials. In addition, we are developing functional substrates
that can be used to direct the growth, size, and shape of individual nanocrystals
as well as organic crystals.
Plasmonic materials and their optical properties
Plasmonics is an exciting and emerging area that uses
metal nanostructures to manipulate light on the nanoscale.
Depending on their size, shape, and materials properties,
noble metal nanoparticles can scatter and absorb light
to produce colors ranging from the ultra-violet to the
near-infrared. In addition, significantly more light
can be transmitted through metal films perforated with
subwavelength hole arrays than is permitted by geometric
optics, a phenomena known as enhanced optical transmission.
The physical basis behind these interesting properties
is the interaction between surface conduction electrons
and light; these collective excitations are surface plasmons
(SPs). In general, there are two types of SPs: localized
surface plasmons (LSPs) and surface plasmon polaritons
(SPPs).
We focus primarily on the optical properties of two different but complementary
systems that can control light on the nanometer scale: (i) metallic films of
nanohole arrays and (ii) pyramidal nanoparticles. The former have properties
dominated by SPPs, and the latter have properties dominated by LSPs. Such nanostructures
are easily made by our innovative fabrication scheme,
PEEL,
for preparing large-area, free-standing films of nanoscale holes and particles.
PEEL is
a simple procedure which combines
Phase-shifting photolithography,
Etching,
Electron-beam
deposition, and
Lift-off of the metal film. In addition, we
are interested in how SPs interact with each other over microscale distances.
We have developed a high-throughput nanofabrication techniquesoft interference
lithography (
SIL)that combines the ability of interference lithography
to produce wafer-scale nanopatterns with the versatility of soft lithography
and used it to create plasmonic metamaterials. Such hierarchical structures have
ca. 100-nm features that can be organized in microscale arrays over macroscale
(tens of square centimetres) areas.
Associations and Awards
- Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford University, 1996
- S.S. & I.M.F. Marsden Memorial Prize for Chemistry Research, Stanford
University, 1996
- Karplus Award for Chemical Physics, Harvard University, 1996
- NSF Predoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University, 1996-99
- White Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching, Harvard University,
1999
- IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists, 2001
- Australian Journal of Chemistry Top Prize, 2001
- NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University, 2001-2002
- Dow Teacher-Scholar Award, Northwestern University, 2002-2004
- Research Innovation Award, Northwestern University, 2002
- Hewlett Funding for Undergraduate Innovation in Teaching, Northwestern Universty,
2002
- Victor K. LaMer Award (ACS Colloids and Surface Chemistry), 2003
- Searle Fellow, Northwestern University, 2003-2004
- David and Lucille Packard Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2003-2007
- NSF CAREER Award, Northwestern University, 2004-2008
- NSF NUE Award, Northwestern University, 2004-2006
- Named to the MIT Technology Review TR100 as "one of the world’s
top young innovators", 2004
- Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2005
- DuPont Young Investigator Grant, 2005
- Cottrell Scholar Award (Research Corporation), 2005
- ExxonMobil Solid State Chemistry Faculty Fellowship, 2006
- Rohm and Haas New Faculty Award, 2007
- NIH Director's Pioneer Award, 2008
Select Publications
J. Henzie, M.H. Lee, and T.W. Odom,
Nature Nanotech. 2,
549-554 (2007). "Multiscale Patterning of Plasmonic Metamaterials."
V. Meenakshi, Y. Babayan, and T.W. Odom, J. Chem. Ed. accepted (2007). "Benchtop
Nanoscale Patterning using Soft Lithography."
C.L. Stender and T.W. Odom, J. Mater. Chem. 17, 1866-1869 (2007). "Chemical
Nanofabrication: A General Route to Surface-Patterned and Free-standing Transition
Metal Chalcogenide Nanostructures." PDF
Reprint
S.P. Price, J. Henzie, and T.W. Odom, Small 3, 372-374 (2007). "Addressable,
Large-area Nanoscale Organic Light Emitting Diodes." PDF
Reprint
Y. Gu, J.P. Romankiewicz, J.K. David, J.L. Lensch, E.S. Kwak, T.W. Odom, and
L.J. Lauhon, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 24, 2172-2177 (2006). "Local Photocurrent
Mapping as a Probe of Contact Effects and Charge Carrier Transport in Semiconductor
Nanowire Devices." PDF
Reprint
H. Gao, J. Henzie, and T.W. Odom, Nano Letters 6, 2104-2107 (2006). "Direct
Evidence for Surface Plasmon-Mediated Enhanced Light Transmission through Metallic
Nanohole Arrays." PDF
Reprint
J. Henzie, K.L. Shuford, E.-S. Kwak, G.C. Schatz, and T.W. Odom, J. Phys.
Chem. B 110, 14028-14031 (2006). "Manipulating the Optical Properties
of Pyramidal Nanoparticle Arrays." PDF
Reprint