Michael Nolan

Dr. Michael Nolan is Head of Group – Materials Modelling for Devices and Chair of the Research Committee at Tyndall National Institute, Cork. Michael is an associate editor for Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology and Atomic Layer Deposition Journal. His group is a world leader in the first principles atomistic simulation of the chemistry of atomic level processing, including atomic layer deposition, atomic layer etching and molecular layer deposition of solids, polymer and hybrid organic-inorganic films. Atomic level processing is widely used in controlled deposition and etch of a range of materials in electronic devices and is growing in utility in energy and medical device technology. Michael is Chair of the Science Council of the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) and is a DFG Mercator Fellow (2022 – 2025)

Michael’s group at Tyndall has 10 PhD and postdoc researchers focused on first principles simulation of atomic layer deposition of metals, oxides and hybrid materials. In addition, the group works in simulation of novel barrier materials for next generation interconnect, complex multiferroic oxides, new piezoelectric materials based on novel AlN and 2D materials and nitrogen reduction chemistry which highlights the broad applicability of materials simulations. Michael coordinates an SFI-NSF China Partnership project on metal and metal nitride ALD, an SFI-EPSRC partnership on triboelectric materials and an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership that developed new polymers and demonstrated their deposition and functional properties for medical device applications. Michael has strong and established links with leading companies in ICT (Intel, LAM, Applied Materials).

Within AMBER Michael’s group works on a project exploring new low friction materials and their production to overcome serious issues associated with current lubricious materials such as their environmental imapcts, production difficulties and poor durability in use. This work brings together a unique fusion of simulation and experiment to address these important questions.