Dr Madhu Bhaskaran

Position

Senior Research Fellow

School /
Work Unit

Electrical and Computer Eng

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 0441

madhu.bhaskaran@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 10
Level: 8
Room: 32

City Campus

College/Portfolio

Science, Engineering & Health

Madhu Bhaskaran

Qualifications

  • 2009 – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D., Electronic Materials Engineering), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
  • 2005 – Master of Engineering (M.Eng., Microelectronics Engineering), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
  • 2004 – Bachelor of Engineering (B.E., Electronic and Communication Engineering), P.S.G. College of Technology, Coimbatore, India

Positions

With the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University:

  • 2012-Current – Senior Research Fellow and ARC Australian Post-Doctoral Fellow
  • 2010-11 – Research Fellow and ARC Australian Post-Doctoral Fellow
  • 2009 – Research Fellow

Key activities

Devices Technologies and Micro-Fabrication

  • Fabrication techniques: cleanroom processing, photolithography, wet and dry etching
  • Semiconductors: silicon microelectronics, ohmic contacts
  • Micro-systems: silicon MEMS, bulk micro-machining

Electronic Materials Processing

  • Electronic materials: silicides, piezoelectrics, conductors, oxide conductors
  • Thin film processing: deposition, micro-fabrication, synthesis
  • Materials characterisation: electron microscopy, diffraction, spectroscopy

Course Coordination and Teaching

  • Electronic Materials (EEET2148/EEET2260)
  • Advances and Applications of Micro-and Nano-Technologies (EEET2151)

Fellowships, scholarships, and awards

  • 2012 – Early Career Researcher International Travel Award from the RMIT University ECR Network
  • 2011 – Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Emerging Researcher
  • 2011 – RMIT Research Media Star Award
  • 2011 – The Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant
  • 2011 – The CASS Foundation Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Travel Grant
  • 2010-2013 – Australian Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC)
  • 2009 – Early Career Researcher Travel Grant from the ARC Australian Research Network for Advanced Materials (ARNAM)
  • 2009 – 'Best Poster Prize' – Symposium L of the International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT) at Singapore
  • 2007 – 'Best Poster Prize' – Symposium J of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) Fall Meeting 2007 at Warsaw
  • 2007 – Travel scholarship from Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) to attend the E-MRS Fall Meeting 2007
  • 2006 – Travel scholarship from SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering
  • 2006-2009 – International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) from the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)

Professional involvement

Membership of professional societies

  • Materials Research Society (MRS)
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
  • Australian Nanotechnology Network (ANN, formerly ARCNN)
  • Australian Ceramic Society

Editorial roles

  • Book Editor, CRC Press
  • Guest Editor, Sensor Letters (Special Issue for IMCS-13)

Reviewer for competitive research funding

  • Australian Research Council (ARC) – Discovery Projects , Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, Future Fellowships, Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities Grants
  • National Council for Scientific Research (Romania) – Exploratory Research Projects, Joint Applied Research Projects
  • New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment – Investment rounds

Reviewer for international scientific journals

  • Crystal Growth and Design
  • Journal of Electronic Materials
  • Thin Solid Films
  • Micron
  • Electrochemical and Solid State Letters
  • European Physical Journal B
  • Journal of Materials Science
  • Physica B
  • IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices
  • Surface and Coatings Technology
  • Applied Surface Science
  • IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
  • Materials Science and Engineering B
  • International Journal of Physical Sciences
  • Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
  • Journal of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Micro and Nano Letters
  • Materials Research Bulletin
  • Materials
  • Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
  • Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
  • Current Nanoscience
  • CrystEngComm
  • ECS Solid State Letters
  • Nanoscale Research Letters
  • Materials Letters

Conference Organisation

Research publications

Disciplines

Electronic engineering, materials engineering, materials science, physical sciences, multidisciplinary sciences, device engineering, sensor technology

Publication summary

5 book chapters, 46 journal articles, 24 conference proceedings, and 5 other publications – total of 80

Book chapters (Invited)

  • M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and A. S. Holland, “Accurate evaluation of specific contact resistivity of multi-layered silicon-based ohmic contacts”, Advances in Mechanical Engineering Research, D. E. Malach (Ed.), Nova Science Publishers, Vol. 1, Ch. 4, pp. 163-184 (2011). [ISBN: 978-1-61761-110-0]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and A. Mitchell, "Piezoelectric Thin Film Deposition: Novel self-assembled island structures and low temperature processes on silicon", Piezoelectric Ceramics, E. Suaste-Gomez (Ed.), Sciyo, Ch. 1, pp. 1-22 (2010). [ISBN: 978-953-307-122-0, Open Access]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and A. Mitchell, "Thin Film Piezoelectric Response Coefficient Estimation Techniques", Applied Physics in the 21st Century (Horizons in World Physics), R. P. Valencia (Ed.), Nova Science Publishers, Vol. 266, Ch. 12, pp. 353-363 (2010). [ISBN: 978-1-60876-074-9]
  • S. Sriram and M. Bhaskaran, "Optimisation of Deposition Conditions for Functional Oxide Thin Films", Applied Physics in the 21st Century (Horizons in World Physics), R. P. Valencia (Ed.), Nova Science Publishers, Vol. 266, Ch. 10, pp. 320-339 (2010). [ISBN: 978-1-60876-074-9]
  • M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and D. R. G. Mitchell, "Characterisation of Silicide Thin Films for Semiconductor and Nanotechnology Electronics", Applied Physics in the 21st Century (Horizons in World Physics), R. P. Valencia (Ed.), Nova Science Publishers, Vol. 266, Ch. 8, pp. 273-300 (2010). [ISBN: 978-1-60876-074-9]

Journal articles (from January 2010 to March 2013)

  • S. Balendhran, S. Walia, H. Nili, J. Z. Ou, S. Zhuiykov, R. B. Kaner, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Two-dimensional molybdenum trioxide and dichalcogenides”, Adv. Funct. Mater. (2013) [doi 10.1002/adfm.201300125]
  • J. Li, C. M. Shah, W. Withayachumnankul, B. S.-Y. Ung, A. Mitchell, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, S. Chang, and D. Abbott, “Mechanically tunable terahertz metamaterials”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 102 121101 (2013)
  • T. Niu, W. Withayachumnankul, B. S.-Y. Ung, H. Menekse, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and C. Fumeaux, “Experimental demonstration of reflectarray antennas at terahertz frequencies”, Opt. Express. 21 2875 (2013) [doi 10.1364/OE.21.002875]
  • S. Balendhran, J. Deng, J. Z. Ou, S. Walia, J. Scott, J. Tang, K. L. Wang, M. R. Field, S. P. Russo, S. Zhuiykov, M. S. Strano, N. Medhekar, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Enhanced charge carrier mobility in two-dimensional high dielectric molybdenum oxide”, Adv. Mater. 25 109 (2013) [doi 10.1002/adma.201203346]
  • L. Zou, W. Withayachumnankul, C. M. Shah, A. Mitchell, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and C. Fumeaux, “Dielectric resonator nanoantennas at visible frequencies”, Opt. Express 21 1344 (2013) [doi 10.1364/OE.21.001344]
  • H. Nili, G. Cheng, T. A. Venkatesh, S. Sriram, and M. Bhaskaran, “Correlation between nanomechanical and piezoelectric properties of thin films: An experimental and finite element study”, Mater. Lett. 90 148 (2013). [doi 10.1016/j.matlet.2012.09.036]
  • H. Nili, K. Kalantar-zadeh, M. Bhaskaran, and S. Sriram, “In situ nanoindentation: Probing nanoscale multifunctionality”, Prog. Mater. Sci. 58 1 (2013) [doi 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2012.08.001]
  • C. M. Shah, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, M. Nasabi, T. G. Nguyen, W. S. T. Rowe, and A. Mitchell, “Elastomer-based pneumatic switch for radio frequency microdevices”, IEEE/ASME J. Microelectromech. Syst. 21 1410 (2012) [doi 10.1109/JMEMS.2012.2208220]
  • S. Walia, R. Weber, S. Balendhran, D. Yao, J. T. Abrahamson, S. Zhuiykov, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, M. S. Strano, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “ZnO based thermopower wave sources”, ChemComm 48 7462 (2012) [doi 10.1039/C2CC33146B]
  • J. Z. Ou, R. A. Rani, M. H. Ham, M. R. Field, Y. Zhang, H. Zheng, P. Reece, S. Zhuiykov, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, R. B. Kaner, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Elevated temperature anodized Nb2O5: A photoanode material with exceptionally large photoconversion efficiencies”, ACS Nano 6 4045 (2012) [doi 10.1021/nn300408p]
  • E. Narimissa, R. Gupta, M. Bhaskaran, and S. Sriram, “Influence of nano-graphite platelet concentration on onset of crystalline degradation in polylactide composites”, Polym. Degrad. Stab. 97 829 (2012) [doi 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.02.010]
  • W. Withayachumnankul, H. Lin, K. Serita, C. M. Shah, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, M. Tonouchi, C. Fumeaux, and D. Abbott, “Sub-diffraction thin-film sensing with planar terahertz metamaterials”, Opt. Express 20 3345 (2012) [doi 10.1364/OE.20.003345]
  • M. Nour, K. Berean, M. J. Griffin, G. I. Matthews, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Nanocomposite carbon-PDMS membranes for gas separation”, Sens. Act. B  161 982 (2012) [doi 10.1016/j.snb.2011.11.079]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, S. Chen, S. Jayawardhana, P. R. Stoddart, J. Z. Liu, N. V. Medhekar, K. Kalantar-Zadeh, and A. Mitchell, “Influence of electric field on SERS: Frequency effects, intensity changes, and susceptible bonds”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134 4646 (2012) [doi 10.1021/ja208893q]
  • I. E. Khodasevych, C. M. Shah, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, W. Withayachumnankul, B. S. Y. Ung, H. Lin, W. S. T. Rowe, D. Abbott, and A. Mitchell, “Elastomeric silicone substrates for terahertz fishnet metamaterials”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 100 061101 (2012) [doi 10.1063/1.3665180]
  • M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, B. J. Rodriguez, G. C. Devendra, K. Latham, D. G. McCulloch, and A. Mitchell, “Lattice guiding for sputter deposition of single domain (Sr0.6Ba0.4)Nb2O6 ferroelectric thin films”, CrystEngComm 14 359 (2012) [doi 10.1039/C1CE06112G]
  • S. Balendhran, J. Z. Ou, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, S. Ippolito, Z. Vasic, E. Kats, S. Bhargava, S. Zhuiykov, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Atomically thin layers of MoS2 via a two step thermal evaporation–exfoliation method”, Nanoscale  4 461 (2012) [doi 10.1039/C1NR10803D]
  • S. Walia, R. Weber, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, K. Latham, S. Zhuiykov, and K. Kalantar-zadeh, “Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 based thermopower wave sources”, Energy Environ. Sci. 4 3558 (2011) [doi 10.1039/C1EE01370J]
  • M. E. Combariza, C. M. Shah, S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, G. Kostovski, M. Nasabi, and A. Mitchell, “Microengineered structures for rapid automatic loading of optical fibre segments”, J. Micromech. Microeng. 21 095010 (2011) [doi 10.1088/0960-1317/21/9/095010]
  • M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, S. Ruffell, and A. Mitchell, “Nanoscale characterisation of energy generation from piezoelectric thin films”, Adv. Funct. Mater.  21 2251 (2011) [doi 10.1002/adfm.201002663]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, R. Ahluwalia, T. G. Nguyen, N. Ng, D. J. Srolovitz, K. Kalantar-zadeh, and A. Mitchell, “Surface morphology induced localized electric field and piezoresponse enhancement in nanostructured thin films”, ACS Nano 5 1067 (2011) [doi 10.1021/nn103561u]
  • M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, D. Adley, T. S. Perova, and A. Mitchell, “Reversal and pinning of Curie point transformations in thin film piezoelectrics”, CrystEngComm 13 1280 (2011) [doi 10.1039/C0CE00713G]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and A. S. Holland, “Interfacial resistive properties of nickel silicide thin films to doped-silicon”, J. Electrochem. Soc. 157 H842 (2010) [doi 10.1149/1.3454214]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, and A. Mitchell, “Low-temperature deposition of high-response piezoelectric thin films”, Scripta Materialia 63 189 (2010) [doi 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.03.041]
  • S. Sriram, M. Bhaskaran, D. R. G. Mitchell, and A. Mitchell, “Lattice guiding for low temperature crystallization of rhombohedral perovskite-structured oxide thin films”, Cryst. Growth Des. 10 761 (2010) [doi 10.1021/cg901165j]

More details on publications can be found in the RMIT Research Repository.

Research grant funding

Year(s)

Scheme

Amount

2013

ARC Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment, and Facilities Grant (LE130100090)

$700,000

2012-13

Ramaciotti Award (Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation)

$75,000

2012-13

CSIRO Flagship Cluster Grant

$50,000

2012

ARC Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment, and Facilities Grant (LE120100004)

$470,000

2010-13

ARC Discovery Project (DP1092717) with Australian Post-Doctoral Fellowship  

$305,000

2010-12

ARC Linkage Project (LP100100696)   

$279,215

2010

RMIT University Electrical and Computer Engineering Seed Grant

$20,000

2010

RMIT University Electrical and Computer Engineering Seed Grant  

$20,000

2010

RMIT University Emerging Researcher Grant   

$19,000

2009

RMIT University Electrical and Computer Engineering Seed Grant  

$24,500

2009

RMIT University Electrical and Computer Engineering Seed Grant  

$23,000

2009

RMIT University Science-Engineering-Health Research Seed Grant  

$20,000

2008

The CASS Foundation, Victoria, Australia (SM/07/1508)   

$23,000

2008

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA08124P)   

$16,000

2008

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA08033)   

$15,500

2007

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA07071P)   

$13,000

2007

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA07070P)   

$14,500

2006

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA06234)

$10,500

2006

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINGRA06233)

$10,000

Research in the media

2012

2011

June-August had significant coverage of research on piezoelectric energy generation, with work featuring on TV, >7 radio stations, >30 media outlets, and >900 websites. A few examples are:

2010

2009