Daniel Gall

Prof. Daniel Gall is the Robert W. Hunt Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), School of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (2000) and a Diploma from the University of Basel (1994). His research focuses on thin film growth, electronic properties of materials, and transition-metal nitrides. Notable contributions include work on resistivity size effects in nanowires and interconnects, for which he was recognized as one of the 100 most important DOE-supported discoveries. He leads the Thin Films and Nanostructures Lab, equipped with advanced tools like UHV deposition systems, supercomputing resources (IBM BlueGene/Q), and advanced characterization facilities (SEM, TEM, AFM).

Prof. Gall has received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, IBM Faculty Award, and Bill Sproul Award. His research is funded by NSF, DoD, Semiconductor Research Corporation, and industry partners like IBM and LAM. He advises over 60 students, many of whom have won poster and best paper awards. Collaborative projects span nanoelectronics, high-conductivity interconnects, and energy materials through partnerships with institutions like Benet Laboratories and GlobalFoundries.

Publications (200+ peer-reviewed articles) emphasize electron transport, epitaxial materials, and thin film innovation. His lab’s tools include multi-chamber deposition systems, in-situ analysis, and first-principles simulations. Beyond academia, he advocates for environmental sustainability (electric vehicles, solar panels) and serves on editorial boards for journals like Thin Solid Films and Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A.