I joined Swansea University in October 2000 as a research assistant in the semiconductor interface laboratory, now part of the Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre (MNC). I am originally from Grenoble, France where I obtained a physics degree and a Masters in optoelectronics and semiconductor devices. I then did a PhD at Sheffield Hallam University, working on the formation of metal contacts to gallium nitride. My research interests lie primarily in the behaviour of inorganic surfaces and interfaces in ultra high vacuum environment, using surface analysis tools such as scanning probe microscopy (SPM). At Swansea I first worked on gas sensing devices made of SnO2 nanoparticles, using SPM to probe the sensing mechanism at the nonoscale. This research led to another project where the nanocrystalline SnO2 surfaces were used as a subtrate for nanoscale charge patterning. In August 2005, I was awarded a Royal Society university research fellowship and was made a lecturer in the MNC. My research has moved on to the study of metal-oxide nanobelts, which are novel 1-dimensional structures with exotic properties and promising potential applications. I also retained a strong interest in nitride research and am keen to re-establish this area within the MNC. Potential collaborations would be most welcome!

Publication list

• "Scanning probe microscopy of ZnO nanobelts"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, M.W. Penny, M.R. Brown, K.W Liew, D. Fu, N. Tsolakoglou, C.J. Wright and S.P. Wilks
  Submitted to Applied Surface Science
• "STM and XPS Characterisation of vacuum annealed nanocrystalline WO3"
  T.G.G. Maffeis, D. Yung, L. Lepennec, M.W. Penny, R.J. Cobley E. Comini, S.P. Wilks
  Accepted in  Surface Science
• "Cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of strain in buried heterostructure lasers"
  R.J. Cobley, K.S.Teng, T.G.G. Maffeis and S.P. Wilks
  Surface Science 600 (14): 2857-2859 JUL 15 2006
• "Investigation of annealing effects on the adsorption of Ni on 4H-SiC(0001) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy"
  I.P. Blackwood, K.S. Teng, T.G.G. Maffeïs and S.P. Wilks
  J. of Applied Physics 98 (10): 103528 NOV 15 2005
• "Photo-Induced Unpinning of Fermi Level in WO3"
  C. Malagù, M.C. Carotta, E. Comini, G. Faglia, A. Giberti, V. Guidi, T.G.G. Maffeis, G. Martinelli, G. Sberveglieri, S.P. Wilks
  Sensors 2005, 5, 594-603
• "Room temperature and elevated temperature characterisation of nanocrystalline SnO2 surfaces by scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, C. Malagù, G. Martinelli, M.K. Kennedy, F.E. Kruis and S.P. Wilks, Int. Jour. of nanoscience 3(4-5) (2004) 519
• "Cross sectional scanning tunnelling microscopy of buried heterojunction lasers"
  R.J. Cobley, K.S. Teng, M.R. Brown, T.G.G. Maffeïs and S.P. Wilks
  Int. Jour. of nanoscience 3(4-5) (2004) 525
• "Charge Writing on the Nanoscale: from Nano-patterning to Molecular Docking"
  S.P. Wilks, T.G.G. Maffeïs, K.S.Teng, G.T. Owen and M.W. Penny
  J. Vacuum Science and Technology B 22(4) (2004) 1995
• "STM patterning of SnO2 nanocrystalline surfaces"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, M. W. Penny, H.S. Ferkel and S.P. Wilks
  Appl. Surf. Sci. 234(1-4) (2004) 2
• "Macroscopic and microscopic investigations of the effect of gas exposure on nanocrystalline SnO2 at elevated temperature."
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, M.W.  Penny, K.S. Teng, H.S. Ferkel and S.P. Wilks
  Appl. Surf. Sci. 234(1-4) (2004) 82
• "Evidence of band bending flattening of 10 nm polycrystalline SnO2"
  C.Malagù, M.C. Carotta, V.Guidi, G. Martinelli, H. Fissan, F.E. Kruis, M.K.Kennedy, T.G.G. Maffeis, G.T. Owen, and S.P. Wilks
  Sensors Actuators B 103(1-2) (2004) 50
• "Ellipsometric study of thermal silicon oxide and sacrificial silicon oxide on 4H-SiC"
  Chen L, Guy OJ, Pope G, Teng KS, Maffeis T, Wilks SP, Mawby PA, Jenkins T, Brieva A, Hayton DJ  SILICON CARBIDE AND RELATED MATERIALS 2003, PTS 1 AND 2 MATERIALS SCIENCE FORUM 457-460: 1337-1340, Part 1&2 2004
• "Surface state density decrease in nanostructured polycrystalline SnO2: modelling and experimental evidence"
  C. Malagù, M.C. Carotta, V. Guidi, M.K. Kennedy, G. Martinelli, T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, S.P. Wilks
  Sensors Actuators B 100(1-2) (2004) 283
• "Direct evidence of the dependence of surface state density on the size of SnO2 nanoparticles observed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, C. Malagù, G. Martinelli, M.K. Kennedy, F.E. Kruis and S.P. Wilks
  Surface Science 550/1-3 (2003) 21
• "The correlation of electronic properties with nanoscale morphological variations in semiconductor devices"
  P.R. Dunstan, T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, M.P. Ackland, S.P. Wilks
  Journal of Physics D-Condensed Matter 15(42) (2003) S3095
• "Nano-crystalline SnO2 gas sensor response to O2 and CH4 at elevated temperature investigated by XPS",
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, G.T. Owen, M.W. Penny, T.K.H. Starke, S.A. Clark, H. Ferkel and S.P. Wilks
  Surface Science 520 (2002) 29
• "Influence of premetallization surface treatment on the formation of Schottky Au-nGaN contacts"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, M. C. Simmonds, P. J. Parbrook, F. Peiro, P. Haines and S. A. Clark
  Journal of Applied Physics 92 (6) (2002) 3179
• "Near ideal, high barrier, Au-nGaN Schottky contacts"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, M.C. Simmonds, S.A. Clark, F. Peiro, P. Haines, P.J. Parbrook
  Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics 33 (20): (2000) L115
• "GaN cleaning by Ga deposition, reduction and re-evaporation: An SXPS study"
  T.G.G. Maffeïs, S.A. Clark, P.R. Dunstan, S.P. Wilks, D.A. Evans, F. Peiro, H. Riechert, P.J. Parbrook
  Physica Status Solidi A-Applied Research 176 (1): (1999) 751