principal investigator

Biography

Young-Woon Byeon is the group leader of the Advanced Electron Microscopy Laboratory (AEML) at the Advanced Analysis and Data Center (AADC), KIST. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Sciences and Engineering from Korea University (Seoul, Korea) in 2020, where he studied under Dr. Jae-Pyoung Ahn and Prof. Jae-Chul Lee. During his doctoral research, he focused on the diffusion kinetics of lithium (Li⁺) and sodium (Na⁺) ions in alloying anodes such as tin (Sn), silicon (Si), antimony (Sb). Utilizing in-situ/operando electron microscopy techniques, he revealed how the diffusion of charge-carrier-ions was mitigated at the migrating interface during the volume expansion.

Following his Ph.D., he joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) as a postdoctoral research employee, working with Dr. Haegyeom Kim and Dr. Peter Ercius. There, he explored the complexities of material properties under various processing conditions, with applications spanning all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), and nanoporous bio-ceramics. In November 2023, Young-Woon began his tenure-track position as a senior research scientist at AADC, KIST in Seoul, Korea.

Education

• Ph.D. 2020, Materials Sciences and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
• B.S. 2013, Materials Sciences and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

Work Experience

• 2023.11 - present Senior Research Scientist, AADC, KIST, Seoul, Korea
• 2020.03 - 2023.10 Postdoctoral Research Employee, Materials Sciences Division, LBNL, Berkeley, CA, USA
• 2013.05 - 2020.02 Research Assistant (RA), KIST, Seoul, Korea
• 2012.01 - 2012.02 Undergraduate Intern, Battelle-Korea Institute, Seoul, Korea
• 2009.03 - 2011.04 Sergeant, Education and Training Command, ROKAF, Jinju, Korea

Research Interests

Dr. Byeon utilizes the correlative analysis capabilities of the Titan, Talos, and Tecnai transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) alongside other analytical techniques such as FIB, SEM, XRD, XPS, and APT. He specializes in advanced damage-less TEM analysis techniques, including cryogenic TEM, low-acceleration voltage imaging, utilizing direct electron detector, etc. Believing TEM-based spectroscopy to be the most powerful tool for exploring nano-scale phenomena, he employs high-resolution imaging and in-situ/operando TEM holders to study materials processes in various environments. His research interests emcompass a broad range of topics, including:

• Correlating the performance degradation of battery materials with their microstructural evolution.
• In situ / operando studies on the diffusion of charge-carrier ions (H⁺/Li⁺/Na⁺/K⁺, etc.) ions during electrochemical reactions.
• Processing and analyzing diffraction and spectrum data for statistical insights into materials interfaces.
• Appling low-dose electron beam and cryogenic techniques to minimize the sample damage during observation.
• Utilizing STEM / FIB tomography for detailed analysis of environment-sensitive materials.
• Incorporating machine Learning / automation into the electron microscopy workflow, including sample preparation, data acquisition, data processing.