Kevin Yager, Ph.D.

Brief Bio
I obtained my B.Sc. in Chemistry (First Class Honours) from McGill University (Montreal) in 2001, which included a minor in Computer Science. I then began doctoral research in materials science in the Chemistry department at McGill, studying the photo-mechanical properties and photo-patterning capabilities of azobenzene-polymers. During my graduate work, I collaborated extensively with the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (Chalk River, Canada), performing neutron reflectometry experiments on azo-polymer thin films, as well as polyelectrolyte multilayers. I defended my Ph.D. thesis in 2006. I was awarded a prestigious NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, and joined NIST’s Polymers Division. I am now part of the Electronics Materials Group, working on the Dimensional Metrology for Nanomanufacturing project. In particular, my work focuses on templated and directed self-assembly, both in terms of the fundamental physics of assembly, and as a unique measurement challenge. To this end, I have been working to extend and combine neutron reflectometry and small-angle neutron scattering to quantify the three-dimensional order in nanostructured thin films. (Further biographical information available here.)

Research Interests
Templated and directed self-assembly, block-copolymer ordering, lithography, photo-active polymers, x-ray and neutron reflectometry, small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS and GISAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS).

Awards and Honors

• NIST MSEL Associate Award (2008)
• NIST Sigma Xi Best Postdoctoral Research Poster Award (2008)
• MSED/LANXESS Graduate Thesis Award (2008)
• NSERC Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007)
• Robert Zamboni Travel Prize (2006)
• Udho, Parsini, Diwan Research Paper Award (2005)
• CSC-Montreal Graduate Travel Award (2005)
• Alma Mater Student Travel Grant (2005)
• David J. Simkin Physical Chemistry Award (2004)
• MSED Graduate Research Presentation Award (2004)
• NSERC Canada Postgraduate Scholarship (2003)
• FCAR/FQRNT Postgraduate Scholarship B2 (2003)
• T. Sterry Hunt Teaching Award (2003)
• FCAR/FQRNT Postgraduate Scholarship B1 (2002)
• CSC Conference Poster Award (2001)
• R.F. Robertson Physical Chemistry Award (2001)

Non-NIST Publications

Tanchak, O.M.; Yager, K.G.; Fritzsche, H.; Harroun, T.; Katsaras, J.; Barrett, C.J. “Ion distribution in multilayers of weak polyelectrolytes: A neutron reflectometry study” Journal of Chemical Physics 2008, 129, 084901. doi 10.1063/1.2943201

Barrett, C.J.; Mamiya, J.; Yager, K.G.; Ikeda, T. “Photo-mechanical Effects in Azobenzene-containing Soft Materials” Soft Matter 2008, 3, 1249. doi 10.1039/b705619b

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Confinement of Surface Patterning in Azo-Polymer Thin Films” Journal of Chemical Physics 2007, 126, 094908. doi 10.1063/1.2538787

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Photomechanical Surface Patterning in Azo-Polymer Materials” Macromolecules 2006, 39, 9320. doi 10.1021/ma061733s

Yager, K.G.; Tanchak, O.M.; Godbout, C.; Fritzsche, H.; Barrett, C.J. “Photomechanical Effects in Azo-Polymers Studied by Neutron Reflectometry” Macromolecules 2006, 39, 9311. doi 10.1021/ma0617320

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Novel Photoswitching using Azobenzene Functional Materials” Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 2006, 182, 250. doi 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2006.04.021

Tanchak, O.M.; Yager, K.G.; Fritzsche, H.; Harroun, T.A.; Katsaras, J.; Barrett, C.J. “Water Distribution in Multilayers of Weak Polyelectrolytes” Langmuir 2006, 22, 5137. doi 10.1021/la0529613

Yager, K.G.; Tanchak, O.M.; Barrett, C.J.; Watson, M.J.; Fritzsche, H. “Temperature-controlled neutron reflectometry sample cell suitable for study of photoactive thin films” Review of Scientific Instruments 2006, 77, 045106. doi 10.1063/1.2194090

Harroun, T.A.; Fritzsche, H.; Watson, M.J.; Yager, K.G.; Tanchak, O.M.; Barrett, C.J.; Katsara,s J. “Variable temperature, relative humidity (0%-100%), and liquid neutron reflectometry sample cell suitable for polymeric and biomimetic materials” Review of Scientific Instruments 2005, 76, 065101. doi 10.1063/1.1921550

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Temperature Modelling of Laser-Irradiated Azo Polymer Films” Journal of Chemical Physics 2004, 120, 1089-1096. doi 10.1063/1.1631438

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “All-Optical Patterning of Azo Polymer Films” Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science 2001, 5, 487-494. doi 10.1016/S1359-0286(02)00020-7

Book Chapters

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Amorphous Azobenzene Polymers for Light-Induced Surface Patterning” Chapter 4 in Smart Light-Responsive Materials: Azobenzene-Containing Polymers and Liquid Crystals, Zhao, Y. and Ikeda, T., eds. John Wiley and Sons, 2009, Boca Raton, Florida, ISBN: 978-0-470-17578-1.

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Azobenzene Polymers for Photonic Applications” Chapter 1 in Smart Light-Responsive Materials: Azobenzene-Containing Polymers and Liquid Crystals, Zhao, Y. and Ikeda, T., eds. John Wiley and Sons, 2009, Boca Raton, Florida, ISBN: 978-0-470-17578-1.

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Azobenzene Polymers as Photo-Mechanical and Multifunctional Smart Materials” Chapter 17 in Intelligent Materials, Shahinpoor, M. and Schneider, H.-J., eds. Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing, 2008, Cambridge, U.K. ISBN: 978-085404-335-4.

Yager, K.G.; Barrett, C.J. “Light-Induced Nanostructure Formation using Azobenzene Polymers” Chapter 8 in Polymeric Nanostructures and their Applications, Nalwa, H.S., ed. American Scientific Publishers, 2006, Los Angeles. ISBN: 1-58883-068-3.