ACME team

Head of the Research Group: Ville Miikkulainen, PhD, Assistant Professor

Prof. Miikkulainen established the Atomically Controlled Materials Engineering (ACME) research group in 2024. He received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Joensuu in 2008, where his doctoral research focused on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tungsten and molybdenum nitride thin films for tribological applications. He has over 20 years of experience in ALD across academia, research institutes, and industry, with positions at the University of Joensuu, Picosun Oy, the University of Oslo, the University of Helsinki, Beneq Oy, and Aalto University. His experience covers both fundamental and applied aspects of ALD, including precursor development, thin film growth mechanisms, and material and process development for various applications.

Currently his research focuses on ALD engineering of energy materials, ALD process development and methodological development of photo-assisted ALD (Photo-ALD). Emphasis within energy materials is on sustainable lithium-ion battery electrode materials and their functional optimization by development of synthesis approaches and surface engineering by ALD. Within ALD and Photo-ALD, work involves development and synthesis of new precursors as well as instrument development, to realize new process and thin-film material concepts for applications in energy and microelectronics.

Ahmed Othman
M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate

Background: 
Ahmed Othman graduated with honors in 2024 from the Master’s Programme in Chemical, Biochemical and Materials Engineering at Aalto University, majoring in Functional Materials and Microfabrication with a minor in Photonics and Nanotechnology. His MSc thesis focused on the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces via maskless lithography, where a significant component of the work involved protective thin film coatings deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). He began his professional career as a petroleum engineer and later worked as a Process Development Engineer, building strong expertise in chemistry, materials science, and thin film process engineering.

His doctoral research focuses on the development of sustainable lithium-ion battery chemistries that eliminate the use of cobalt by replacing it with more abundant manganese-based materials. Through atomic-scale interface engineering using ALD, he investigates cathode surface modification strategies to enhance electrochemical stability and performance. The goal of his dissertation is to enable high-performance, cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries through precise atomic layer interface engineering.

Haoxuan You
M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate

Background:
Haoxuan You is a doctoral researcher at Aalto University working at the intersection of electrochemistry, materials engineering, and interface science. He holds a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and earned his M.Sc. through the EIT-labelled programme in Functional Materials & Entrepreneurship, with study and research experience across EPFL (Switzerland), Aalto University (Finland), and the University of Bordeaux (France). During his master’s studies, he also gained hands-on experience in lithium-ion battery cathode materials, working on electrochemical performance and degradation-relevant diagnostics. In his master’s thesis at EPFL, he investigated liquid metal nano-electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction, combining colloidal synthesis, electrochemical performance in flow cells.

His doctoral research focuses on lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction (LiNRR)for green ammonia synthesis, with an emphasis on understanding and engineering the solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) on gas-diffusion-type cathodes. Using a materials-by-design approach, he develops artificial interphases via atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) to control interfacial composition and structure, reduce variability in initial electrode states, and reveal how SEI formation pathways govern lithium utilization, parasitic reactions, and ammonia selectivity. The broader goal is to establish mechanistic, design-relevant links between engineered interfaces and stable, efficient LiNRR operation.