Adrienne Stiff-Roberts

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Stiff-Roberts received both the B.S. degree in physics from Spelman College and the B.E.E. degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1999. She received an M.S.E. in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in applied physics in 2001 and 2004, respectively, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she investigated high-temperature quantum dot infrared photodetectors grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Dr. Stiff-Roberts joined Duke University in August 2004, and she is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Dr. Stiff-Roberts' research interests include the synthesis of multi-component and hybrid (organic-inorganic) materials using a novel approach for organic-based thin film deposition that combines solution and vacuum-processing. Known as emulsion-based, resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE), this technique offers a completely new way to integrate novel functions into organic-based films and devices that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve otherwise. Research efforts include materials synthesis and characterization to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of thin-film growth using RIR-MAPLE, as well as device fabrication and characterization for a broad range of applications (especially optoelectronic and energy devices).

Appointments and Affiliations

• Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Associate Dean for Community Based Innovation in the Pratt School of Engineering
• Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information

• Office Location: 3511 CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708
• Office Phone: +1 919 660 5560
• Email Address: adrienne.stiffroberts@duke.edu
• Websites:
  • http://stiffrobertslab.pratt.duke.edu/

Education

• Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2004
• M.Sc.Eng. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2001
• B.S. Spelman College, 1999
• B.S.E.E. Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999

Research Interests

Thin-film deposition, MAPLE, hybrid perovskites, hybrid nanocomposites, organic thin films

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• Lois and John L. Imhoff Distinguished Teaching Award. Pratt School of Engineering. 2021
• Faculty Honoree. Duke University Senior Honors. 2017
• Julian Abele Award for Graduate Mentor of the Year. Mary Lou Williams Center, Black Student Alliance, and Black Graduate and Professional Student Association. 2016
• Invited Speaker. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, Finland. 2016
• IEEE Early Career Award in Nanotechnology for “contributions to the development of nanoscale quantum dots for infrared detection”. IEEE Nanotechnology Council. 2009
• Senior Member. IEEE. 2009
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research. 2008
• Young Investigator Award. Office of Naval Research. 2007
• NSF CAREER AWARD. National Science Foundation. 2006
• Inducted. Phi Beta Kappa Society. 1998
• Inducted. Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society. 1998
• Inducted. Golden Key Honor Society. 1996

Courses Taught

• MSEG 891: Internship
• ME 591: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• ECE 891: Internship
• ECE 521: Quantum Mechanics

In the News

• Risky Business: Climate Change and Finance (Mar 14, 2024 | Nicholas Institute for Energy)
• Expanding the Duke Experience for Master’s Students (Jan 30, 2024 | Duke Today)
• Duke University Center of Exemplary Mentoring Receives $1 Million Grant Renewal from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Dec 8, 2023 | The Graduate School)
• Building a Better Solar Cell (Sep 25, 2023 | Duke Science and Technology)
• Adrienne Stiff-Roberts on a Year of Learning How the University Works (Sep 10, 2023 | Duke Today)
• Duke Adds 21 Faculty to Distinguished Faculty Rank (May 7, 2019)
• Pratt Researchers Join National Effort to Unlock New Energy Technologies (Aug 23, 2018 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Hidden No More: Women in STEM Reflect on Their Journeys (Mar 30, 2017 | Duke Research Blog)
• ECE Start-up Aims to to Transform How Blood Glucose Is Monitored (Jun 2, 2015)
• Energy Initiative Provides First Round of Research Seed Funding (Apr 16, 2014)

Representative Publications

• Zhang, B; Pinky, SK; Kwansa, AL; Ferguson, S; Yingling, YG; Stiff-Roberts, AD, Correlation of Emulsion Chemistry, Film Morphology, and Device Performance in Polyfluorene LEDs Deposited by RIR-MAPLE., ACS applied materials & interfaces, vol 15 no. 14 (2023), pp. 18153-18165 [10.1021/acsami.3c03012] [abs].
• Pinky, SK; Kwansa, AL; Zhang, B; Stiff-Roberts, AD; Yingling, YG, Effect of solvent on the emulsion and morphology of polyfluorene films: all-atom molecular dynamics approach., Soft matter, vol 19 no. 9 (2023), pp. 1782-1790 [10.1039/d2sm01001a] [abs].
• Wright, NE; Qin, X; Xu, J; Kelly, LL; Harvey, SP; Toney, MF; Blum, V; Stiff-Roberts, AD, Influence of Annealing and Composition on the Crystal Structure of Mixed-Halide, Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskites, Chemistry of Materials, vol 34 no. 7 (2022), pp. 3109-3122 [10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c04213] [abs].
• Barraza, ET; Stiff-Roberts, AD, RIR-MAPLE: Deposition of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Thin Films, vol 18 (2022), pp. 115-152 [10.1142/9789811242014_0003] [abs].
• Barraza, ET; Stiff-Roberts, AD, Phenomenological mechanisms of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite thin film deposition by RIR-MAPLE, Journal of Applied Physics, vol 128 no. 10 (2020) [10.1063/5.0015962] [abs].