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Aaron D. Franklin

Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
3473 Fitzpatrick CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708
3473 Fitzpatrick CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Dr. Aaron Franklin is the Addy Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Chemistry at Duke, where he is also the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Pratt School of Engineering. Dr. Franklin received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 2008 and then spent six years on the research staff at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY.  In 2014, he joined the faculty at Duke where his group explores the use of 1D and 2D nanomaterials for high-performance nanoscale devices, low-cost printed and recyclable electronics, and biomedical sensing systems. He is most widely known for his work on low-dimensional nanoelectronics with specific emphasis on carbon nanotube (CNT) transistors, including device scaling, transport studies, and advanced integration approaches.  In addition to leading a scientific research group, Dr. Franklin has been actively involved in the translation of inventions out of the lab, holding more than 50 issued patents and being engaged in two funded start-ups, one of which was acquired by a Fortune 500 company. He is fellow of the IEEE and NAI and has published more than 100 scientific papers in the field of nanomaterial-based electronics.

Research in the Franklin group is focused on improving the performance and functionality of nanomaterial-enabled electronic devices. The primary drive is to improve performance of - and expand applications for - electronic devices, including those with more custom form factors and/or functionality (e.g., flexibility, transparency, biocompatibility, recyclability). There is an increasing variety of new electronics applications that nanomaterials are uniquely capable of enabling -- the Franklin group works to make such applications possible.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering · 2020 - Present Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs · 2023 - Present Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Chemistry · 2020 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published January 8, 2025
Two Pratt Faculty Receive Top Honor for Inventors
Published November 18, 2024
A How-To on Navigating the Tenure Process
Published November 27, 2023
Duke Spinoff Tyrata Acquired by Bridgestone

View All News

Recent Publications


Robust Memcapacitive Synapse Array for Energy-Efficient Motion Detection.

Journal Article ACS nano · April 2025 Emerging neuromorphic systems offer a promising alternative for memory and sensing compared to traditional configurations, but face challenges with scalability and energy efficiency. Capacitive memories show great potential for addressing energy concerns d ... Full text Cite

Symmetry Engineering in a 2D Transition Metal Enables Reconfigurable P- and N-Type FETs.

Journal Article Nano letters · February 2025 Two-dimensional (2D) transition metals enable the elimination of metal-induced gap states and Fermi-level pinning in field-effect transistors (FETs), offering an advantage over conventional metal contacts. However, transition metal substrates typically exh ... Full text Cite

Surface termination engineering of 2D titanium carbides for light-activated soft robotics applications

Journal Article Matter · January 1, 2025 The transition metal carbide (TMC) Ti3C2Tx features high conductivity, photothermal conversion, and flexibility, making it promising for light-driven soft actuators. However, conventional synthesis often results in fluorine ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


NSF-SNSF: Uncovering the Thermal Implications of Contact Scaling and Structure in 2D Semiconductors

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2027

FuSe: Codesigning devices in neural network for computer vision

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2023 - 2026

Hummink NAZCA High-Precision Capillary Flow Printer

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Purdue University · 2008 Ph.D.
Arizona State University · 2004 B.S.E.

External Links


Group Website