Armin Knoll

Armin Knoll is a Research Staff Member at IBM Research Europe - Zurich, Switzerland, where he has been working since 2006. He specializes in nanofabrication and thermal scanning probe lithography, with significant contributions to the development of probe-based data storage technologies, including the well-known 'Millipede' project and subsequent 3D nanofabrication using heatable probes.

Dr. Knoll earned his Diplom degree in Physics from the University of Würzburg, Germany, in 1998, followed by a PhD summa cum laude from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, in 2004. His doctoral thesis focused on 'Equilibrium and Dynamic Phase Behavior in Thin Films of Cylinder Forming Block Copolymers' under the supervision of Professor G. Krausch.

Armin Knoll's research primarily centers around nanofabrication techniques, particularly thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL). His work spans multiple disciplines including nanotechnology, materials science, and molecular systems. He has made significant contributions to probe-based data storage, 3D nanofabrication, and more recently, chemical computing systems. His research often involves the precise manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, with applications ranging from data storage to molecular computing.

Analysis of Dr. Knoll's recent publications reveals a strong focus on advancing thermal scanning probe lithography techniques while expanding into chemical computing and nanofluidic systems. His work shows a clear progression from fundamental nanofabrication methods toward more complex systems that integrate biological components and chemical reaction networks. The interdisciplinary nature of his research bridges physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering, with increasing emphasis on creating functional nanoscale systems for information processing.

• European Research Council (ERC) award for project entitled 'Topographically guided placement of asymmetric nano-objects' (2012)
• Best Paper Award in 2010 of the IBM materials research community (MRC) (2011)
• IBM Research Division Accomplishment 2010 for 'Probe-based Nanopatterning' (2010)
• Research Division Award for 'Probe-based Nanopatterning' (2010)
• IBM Research Division Accomplishment 2009 for 'Designing Polymers to Enable Nanoscale Thermo-Mechanical Data Storage' (2009)

Dr. Knoll has been actively involved in mentoring and collaborative research, supervising two postdoctoral students and a PhD student since 2007. His work has received significant external recognition and funding, including the prestigious ERC award in 2012. He has collaborated extensively with external industry partners, particularly in the development of the 'Millipede' project for probe-based data storage. His research has also attracted attention from major scientific journals, with publications in Science, Advanced Materials, and other high-impact venues.

At IBM Research Europe - Zurich, Dr. Knoll co-leads the '3D nanofabrication using heatable probes' project, building on expertise from the earlier 'Millipede' project. He works closely with collaborators including Heiko Wolf and Robert Lovchik, developing advanced nanofabrication techniques with applications across semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and hybrid cloud technologies. His current research directions include chemical computing systems that use complex chemical networks as information-processing units.