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Administrative data

Johann Michler

johann.michler@epfl.ch https://www.empa.ch/web/s206

EPFL › STI › STI-SMX › SMX-ENS

EPFL › STI › IMX › IMX-GE

Johann Michler is head of the Laboratory of Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures at Empa. He received his diploma in Materials Science at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany in 1995 and a PhD degree in Materials Science at EPFL in 2000. He is lecturer at EPFL since 2005. His current research interest focuses on thin film deposition technologies and scale dependent mechanical properties of materials. He is the author or co-author of more than 400 publications, organized several international conferences, and is founder of three start-ups.

Teaching & PhD

PhD Students

Samuel Felix Bojarski, Monika Irena Rejek, Federica Sandulli, Kamila Elzbieta Hamulka, Corentin Foucher, Martina Birocco, Hendrik Constantin Jansen, Philipp Konrad Clewie Kroeker

Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector

Sven Nico Stauss, Rodolfo Guglielmi, Christoph Niederberger, Simona Radice, Dongfeng Zhang, Juri Aljoscha Wehrs

Courses

Advanced Microscopy for Materials

MSE-677

This course provides an overview of advanced materials characterization techniques, focusing on modern Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Focused Ion Beam (FIB) systems (dual-beam), as well as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT).

Materials selection

MSE-474

Propose suitable materials, design, and production routes depending on different performance criteria using a computer based software approach. The course is based on Prof. Mike Ashby's well known "Ashby plots" comparing different material properties (mechanical, thermal, chemical, etc.).

Thin film and small scale mechanics

MSE-669

The course focuses on mechanics of solid thin films and small scale structures and on state-of-the-art experimental techniques employed for evaluation and extraction of thin films and small scale structures mechanical properties. Lectures are example intensive, with in depth theoretical analysis.

Thin film fabrication technologies

MSE-465

The students will learn about the essential chemical, thermodynamic and physical mechanisms governing thin film growth, about the most important process techniques and their typical features, including process-microstructure-film properties relationships.