Research interests
Pipe's expertise is in the areas of microscale heat transfer (especially as related to electronic and optoelectronic devices), thermoelectric/thermionic energy conversion, scanning probe techniques, and microfabrication. His research contributions include the first study of thermoelectric and thermionic energy exchange at the internal heterojunction interfaces of active electronic devices such as semiconductor diodes and diode lasers, the first demonstration of active organic devices integrated with scanning probes, and the first demonstration of fiber-based organic LEDs. His current research interests include nanoscale thermal transport in devices, submicron thermal imaging techniques such as thermoreflectance and scanning thermal microscopy, nanostructured thermoelectric materials, sub-wavelength optical microscopy tools, load-bearing energy-harvesting materials, photovoltaic devices, photonic integrated circuits, and organic and hybrid organic/inorganic devices.

In collaboration with Max Shtein, I am investigating new scanning probe techniques that we intend to pursue for biological and medical applications. These techniques involve functionalizing AFM-style cantilevers with active organic devices such as LEDs and photodiodes in order to enable new near-field optical imaging methods (with potentially large signal-to-noise and simultaneous topographical imaging). We are currently funded by NSF for this research, and will soon be sending a proposal to NIH.

Address: 2146 G. G. Brown, 2350 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI  48109-2125
Phone: (734) 763-6624, Fax: (734) 647-3170, Email: pipe@umich.edu