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Horacio Espinosa
Professor

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Road, Rm. L286
Evanston, IL 60208-3111, USA

TEL: 847-467-5989
FAX: 847-491-3915

espinosa@northwestern.edu

link to research site

BS, Civil Engineering, Northeast National University, Argentina (1981)
MS, Structural Engineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy (1985)
MS, Applied Mathematics, Brown University (1989)
PhD, Solid Mechanics, Brown University (1992)

Honors and Awards:

  • SES Junior Medal, Society of Engineering Science, 2007
  • Hetenyi Award, Society of Experimental Mechanics, 2005.
  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004.
  • Junior Award, American Academy of Mechanics, 2002.
  • Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics, 2001.
  • ASME, Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division, Appreciation Award, 2001.
  • ONR-Young Investigator Award, 1997.
  • NSF-CAREER Award, 1996.
  • ASME, Materials Division, Appreciation Award, 1996.
  • NSF-Research Initiation/Instrumentation Awards, 1993.

Research Areas:

  • MEMS:
 Fountain-pen nanolithography and nanoprobe chips; AFM potentiometry, Multiprobe nanolithography of organic and inorganic molecular inks
  • NEMS:
 Nanowire and carbon nano-tube based devices; Nanomanipulation, directed self-assembly
  • Thin Films and MEMS materials:
Size scale plasticity and fracture; in-situ TEM/SEM/AFM/STM electro-mechanical testing; Multiscale modeling
  • Mechanics of biomaterials:
 Identification of failure mechanisms in sea shells and other biomaterials; Design of synthetic nanocomposites mimicking bioceramics
  • Dynamic failure of advanced materials:
 Dynamic behavior of blast mitigation structures subject to impulsive loads and fragmented impact

In the classroom:

Professor Espinosa has taught a variety of courses including, Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), Experiments in Micro/Nano Science and Engineering, Experimental Engineering, Elasticity, Damage and Inelasticity of Advanced Materials, Advanced Computational Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials, and Aircraft Structures.

His teaching philosophy addresses issues that require particular attention in modern education, which are: a) the increasingly international world of business and markets, b) the technological advances that are continuously raising the speed at which information is obtained and transmitted, and c) the dynamics of the job market that makes likely that most individuals will enjoy several careers in their lifetime. It is his view that a student-centered curriculum in which the student takes responsibility for her or his education rather than a rigid and static core curriculum is the best choice for the future. Such a curriculum maximizes multidisciplinary course work, independent study and research (honor degrees), and encourages experimentation and intellectual expansion.

Editorial Activities:

  • Member of the Editorial Board of "The Open Nanoscience Journal," 2007-present
  • Member of the Editorial Board of the "International Review of Mechanical Engineering (IREME)," 2007-present
  • Editor of the Journal of Experimental Mechanics, 2006-present.
  • Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2003-present.
  • Associate Editor of the Journal of Experimental Mechanics, 2002-2006.
  • Editor of Mechanics a publication of the American Academy of Mechanics, 1998- 2004, (http://www.AAMech.org/).
  • Member of the Editorial Board of "The Open Electrical and Electronic Engineering Journal", 2007-present.
  • Member of the Editorial Board of "The Open Mechanics Journal", 2007-present.
  • Special issue of Experimental Mechanics dedicated to “MEMS and Nanotechnology - Experimental and Computational Mechanics Aspects,” edited by H.D. Espinosa, 2003.
  • Special issue of Mechanics of Materials dedicated to “Deformation, Fracture and Failure of Advanced Materials” honoring Professor Sia Nemat-Nasser, edited by H.D. Espinosa and G. Subhash, 2002.
  • Special issue of Mechanics of Materials dedicated to “Failure Mechanisms in Brittle Materials”, edited by H.D. Espinosa and R.J. Clifton, Vol. 29, 1998.
  • “Advances in Failure Mechanisms in Brittle Materials,” edited by R.J. Clifton and H.D. Espinosa, ASME/AMD219-MD75 publication, November 1996.

Selected Publications:

H. Tang, K. Schwarz and H.D. Espinosa. "Dislocation Escape-Related Size Effects in Single-Crystal Micropillars under Uniaxial Compression," Acta Materialia, Vol. 55, No. 5, p. 1607-1616, 2007.

F. Barthelat, H. Tang, P.D. Zavattieri, C.-M. Li, H.D. Espinosa. "On the mechanics of mother-of-pearl: A key feature in the material hierarchical structure," Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Vol. 55, No. 2, p. 306-337, 2007.

C.-H. Ke and H.D. Espinosa. "In situ Electron Microscopy Electromechanical Characterization of a Bistable NEMS Device," Small, Vol. 2, No. 12, p. 1484-1489, 2006.

N. Moldovan, K-H. Kim, and H.D. Espinosa. "Multi-Ink Linear Array of Nanofountain Probes." Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Vol. 16, No. 10, p. 1935-1942, 2006.

N. Moldovan, K.-H. Kim, and H.D. Espinosa, "Design and Fabrication of a Novel Microfluidic Nanoprobe" JMEMS, Vol. 15, p. 204-213, 2006.

Y. Zhu and H.D. Espinosa, "An Electromechanical Material Testing System for in situ Electron Microscopy and Applications " Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 102, pp. 14503-14508, 2005.

H.D. Espinosa, S. Berbenni, M. Panico and K.W. Schwarz. "An interpretation of Size Scale Plasticity in Geometrically Confined Systems," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 102, No. 47, p. 16933-16938, November 22, 2005.

Brian Hyde, H.D. Espinosa and Diana Farkas. "An Atomistic Investigation of Elastic and Plastic properties of Au Nanowires" Journal of Minerals, Metals and Materials, p. 62-66, September 2005.

K.-H. Kim, N. Moldovan, C. Ke, H.D. Espinosa, X. Xiao, J.A. Carlisle, and O. Auciello, "Novel Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Probes for High- Resolution Low-Wear Nanolithographic Techniques," Small, Vol. 1, No. 8-9, pp. 866-874, 2005.

K.-H. Kim, N. Moldovan, and H.D. Espinosa, "A Nanofountain Probe with Sub-100 nm Molecular Writing Resolution," Small, Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 632-635, 2005.

C.-H. Ke, N. Pugno, B. Peng and H.D. Espinosa, "Experiments and Modeling of Nanotube NEMS Devices," Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids,Vol. 53, pp. 1314-1333, 2005.

C.-H. Ke and H.D. Espinosa, "Feedback Controlled Nanocantilever Device," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 85, pp. 681-683, 2004.

H.D. Espinosa, B.C. Prorok and B. Peng, "Plasticity Size Effects in Freestanding Submicron Polycrystalline FCC Films Subjected to Pure Tension," Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Vol. 52, pp. 667-689, 2004.

H.D. Espinosa, B.C. Prorok, and M. Fischer, "A Methodology for Determining Mechanical Properties of Freestanding Thin Films and MEMS Materials," Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 47-67, 2003.

H.D. Espinosa, Y. Zhu, M. Fischer, and J. Hutchinson, "An Experimental/ Computational Approach to Identify Moduli and Residual Stress in MEMS Radio-Frequency Switches," Experimental Mechanics, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 309-316, 2003.

S.K. Dwivedi and H.D. Espinosa, "Modeling Dynamic Crack Propagation in Fiber Reinforced Composites Including Frictional Effects," special issue of Mechanics of Materials honoring Sia Nemat-Nasser, Vol. 35, No. 3-6, pp. 481-509, 2003.

P.D. Zavattieri and H.D. Espinosa, "Grain Level Analysis of Crack Initiation and Propagation in Brittle Materials," Acta Materialia, Vol. 49, No. 20, pp. 4291-4311, 2001.

Patents and Disclosures:

H.D. Espinosa and F. Barthelat, “Segmented Layered Composite with Dovetail Shaped Tablets Inclusions: “Nacre” Composite, NU Disclosure No. 26164 (provisional patent application filed in 2007)

H.D. Espinosa and N. Moldovan, “Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Chip for Conductive Contact Mode Techniques Made of Nanocrystalline Diamond Thin Films – Design and Fabrication,” NU Disclosure No. 25075 (provisional patent application filed in 2006).

H.D. Espinosa, C-H. Ke, “Nanocantilever Bistable Tunneling Proximity Sensor/Probe,” NU Disclosure No. 24071, (US patent application filed in 2005).

H.D. Espinosa, and N.A. Moldovan, “Scanning Nanodispensing Device Using Cantilevers with Microchannels and Nanotips- Design and Fabrication,” NU Disclosure No. 25075 (US patent application filed in 2006).

H.D. Espinosa, N.A. Moldovan and K.-H. Kim, “Scanning Nanodispensing Device Using Cantilevers with Microchannels and Nanotips- Design and Fabrication,” NU Disclosure No. 23014 (US patent application USSN 60/455,898, filed on March 19, 2003).

H.D. Espinosa and Y. Zhu, “A Microelectromechanical Device Used for In-Situ Electron Microscopy, Scanning Probe Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction Mechanical Testing of Nanostructures,” NU Disclosure No. 24085, filed in 2004.

H.D. Espinosa, B. Prorok and M. Fischer, “A Novel Microscale Mechanical Test for Evaluating the Elasticity, Plasticity and Fracture of Thin Films and MEMS materials,” NU Disclosure No. 22038, filed in 2002.