Watch Professor LaBella's "Inside CNSE" video interview on the use of spintronics in computers and other devices 

Read Professor LaBella's Nanotechnology Now Web site article: Determining Atomic Surface Structure Using Atomic Scale Imaging and First Principles Theory

Degrees:

• Ph.D., Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1998)
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University (1993)
• B.A. Physics, Rutgers University (1993)

Contact: vlabella@uamail.albany.edu

Areas of research:

• Spintronics
• Surface science
• Compound semiconductor crystal growth

Research website:  www.albany.edu/spin

Description of research:

A major area of focus for Professor LaBella is the emerging field of spintronics. Semiconductor devices which utilize the spin of the electron (spintronic devices), have the potential to achieve higher speeds with lower power consumption than conventional devices. To realize this potential advances in our fundamental understanding of spin polarized electron transport through materials and material interfaces at an atomic level is needed. For example, understanding the role of temperature, materials, and material interface properties on both spin-flip and spin-dependent scattering may help to tailor material interfaces for efficient spin transfer. LaBella's group employs two scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based techniques are employed that allow the quantification and tagging of defect type to scattering mechanism with atomic resolution. In addition, the group uses in situ molecular beam epitaxy for material synthesis and interface preparation.

Another focus area is surface science. Studying the atomic structure and thermodynamics behavior of surfaces can yield profound insight into the structure of matter as a whole. This is due in part by state-of-the-art experimental techniques such as the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The STM is the world's most powerful microscope, making it possible to see the structure of a surface on the atomic scale. No where are the atomic and thermodynamic properties of surfaces more technologically important than in the family of compound or III-V semiconductors (e.g., GaAs, InP, GaN, etc.). These materials are used to fabricate everyday devices such as lasers found in CD players and fiber-optic communications, transistors for cellular phones, direct broadcast satellite TV, and global positioning systems.

Fabrication of these devices starts by depositing layers of atoms onto an atomically clean surface until the entire structure is formed. In other words, the fabrication is always occurring at a surface. Thus a deep fundamental knowledge of the surface and its properties may help to further exploit the growth process to produce novel, next-generation devices.

To achieve this understanding, LaBella's group has integrated a combined state-of-the-art in III-V molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth chamber with a low temperature STM.

Recent Publications:

Above Room Temperature Ferromagnetic Silicon
Vincent LaBella, Mengbing Huang, Martin Bolduc, Chaffra Awo-Affouda
United States Patent No. 7405086, Issued Aug 29, 2008.

Effect of interface band structure on hot-electron attenuation lengths in Au thin films
A. J. Stollenwerk, E. J. Spadafora, J. J. Garramone, R. J. Matyi, R. L. Moore, V. P. LaBella
Physical Review B 77 033416 (2008)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.77.033416

Measuring Spin Dependent Hot Electron Transport Through a Metal-Semiconductor Interface Using Spin-Polarized Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy
A. J. Stollenwerk, M. R. Krause, J. J. Garramone, E. J. Spadafora, V. P. LaBella
Physical Review B 76 195311 (2007)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.76.195311

Measurement of the clustering energy for manganese silicide islands on Si(001) by Ostwald Ripening
M. R. Krause, A. J. Stollenwerk, M. Licurse, V. P. LaBella
Applied Physics Letters 91 041903 (2007)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1063/1.2766681

Implantation Damage Study in Ferromagnetic Mn-implanted Si
C. Awo-Affouda, M. Bolduc, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 25 976 (2007)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2713117

Electronic structure changes of Si(001)(2x1) from subsurface Mn observed by STM
M. R. Krause, A. J. Stollenwerk, J. Reed, V. P. LaBella, M. Hortamani, P. Kratzer, M. Scheffler
Physical Review B 75 205326 (2007)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.205326

Atmospheric oxygen in Mn doped GaAs/GaAs(0 0 1) thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy
J.F. Xu, P.M. Thibado, C. Awo-Affouda, R. Moore, V.P. LaBella
Jounal of Crystal Growth 301-302 54 (2007)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.11.234

Probing the hot electron transport properties and interface band structure of Fe/Si(001) and Fe₈₁C₁₉/Si(001) Schottky diodes
A. J. Stollenwerk, M. R. Krause, D. H. Idell, R. Moore, V. P. LaBella
Physical Review B 74 155328 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.74.155328

Ballistic electron transport properties of Fe-based films on Si(001)
A. J. Stollenwerk, M. R. Krause, D. H. Idell, R. Moore, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 24 2009 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2213264

Annealing Temperature Effects on the Structure of Ferromagnetic Mn-implanted Si
M. Bolduc, C. Awo-Affouda, M. B. Huang, F. Ramos, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 24 1648 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2194921

Observation of Crystallite Formation in Ferromagnetic Mn-implanted Si
C. Awo-Affouda, M. Bolduc, M. B. Huang, F. Ramos, K. A. Dunn, B. Thiel, G. Agnello, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 24 1644 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2189265

Hot Electron Transport Across Manganese Silicide Layers on the Si(001) Surface
A. Stollenwerk, M. Krause, R. Moore, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 24 1610 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2206195

Ostwald ripening of manganese silicide islands on Si(001)
M. R. Krause, A. Stollenwerk, M. Licurse, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 24 1480 (2006)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.2167070

Redistribution of Mn upon Annealing in Ferromagnetic Mn-implanted Si
M. Bolduc, C. Awo-Affouda, M. B. Huang, F. Ramos, V. P. LaBella
Material Research Society Symposium Proceedings 908e 3 (2006)

INVITED: Arsenic-Rich GaAs(001) Surface Structure
Vincent LaBella, Michael Krause, Zhao Ding, Paul M. Thibado
Surface Science Reports 60 1 (2005)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1016/j.surfrep.2005.10.001

Investigation of the Structural Properties of Ferromagnetic Mn-implanted Si
M. Bolduc, C. Awo-Affouda, A. Stollenwerk, M. B. Huang, F. Ramos, V. P. LaBella
Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research; Section B 242 367 (2005)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1016/j.nimb.2005.08.132

Combined molecular beam epitaxy low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy system: enabling atomic scale characterization of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces
M. Krause, A. Stollenwerk, C. Awo-Affouda, B. Maclean, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 23 1684 (2005)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.1941167

Above room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn-ion implanted Si
M. Bolduc, C. Awo-Affouda, A. Stollenwerk, M. B. Huang, F. G. Ramos, G. Agnello, V. P. LaBella
Physical Review B 71 033302 (2005)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.71.033302

Magnetic and Structural Properties of Mn-implanted Si
M. Bolduc, C. Awo-Affouda, A. Stollenwerk, M. B. Huang, F. Ramos, G. Agnello, V. P. LaBella
Material Research Society Symposium Proceedings 853E 4 (2005)

Electron-beam evaporated cobalt films on molecular beam epitaxy prepared GaAs(001)
Z. Ding, P. M. Thibado, C. Awo-Affouda, V. P. LaBella
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 22 2068 (2004)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.1771674

Time-evolution of the GaAs(001) pre-roughening process
Z. Ding, D. W. Bullock, P. M. Thibado, V. P. LaBella, K. Mullen
Surface Science 540 491 (2003)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1016/S0039-6028(03)00916-6

Tool and method for in situ vapor phase deposition source material reloading and maintenance
Paul M. Thibado, Vincent P. LaBella, Daniel W. Bullock
United States Patent No. 6551405, Issued May 23, 2003

Atomic-Scale Observation of Temperature and Pressure Driven Preroughening and Roughening
Z. Ding, D. W. Bullock, P. M. Thibado, V. P. LaBella, K. Mullen
Physical Review Letters 90 216109 (2003)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.216109

Role of aperiodic surface defects on the intensity of electron diffraction spots
D. W. Bullock, Z. Ding, P. M. Thibado, V. P. LaBella
Applied Physics Letters 82 2586 (2003)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1063/1.1568161

Dynamics of spontaneous roughening on the GaAs(001)-(2×4) surface
Z. Ding, D. W. Bullock, W. F. Oliver, P. M. Thibado, V. P. LaBella
Jounal of Crystal Growth 251 35 (2003)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1016/S0022-0248(02)02272-8

Simultaneous surface topography and spin-injection probability
D. W. Bullock, V. P. LaBella, Z. Ding, P. M. Thibado
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 21 67 (2003)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1116/1.1532022

Mapping the spin-injection probability on the atomic scale
D. W. Bullock, V. P. LaBella, Z. Ding, P. M. Thibado
Journal of Superconductivity 15 37 (2002)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1023/A:1014023126179

Enhancing the Student-Instructor Interaction Frequency
D. W. Bullock, V. P. LaBella, T. Clingan, Z. Ding, G. Stewart, P.M. Thibado
The Physics Teacher 40 535 (2002)
(full text and abstract) doi: 10.1119/1.1534821