Mr Jan Kowal

Professional biography

I came to the OU after 20 years working as an engineer in industry, most recently in the field of micro-electromechanical systems. This is a manufacturing technology that uses wafer-scale processing techniques to shape materials such as silicon and glass into miniature physically or chemically active components. This has largely involved designing sensors of various kinds (accelerometers, pressure sensors, CO₂ sensors), as well as structures such as microfluidic devices and integrated optical chips. An important process within this technology is that of semiconductor wafer to wafer bonding, and since joining the OU I have been trying to understand the mechanisms by which exposing wafers to gas discharges enhances the strength of the bond made subsequently.

Research interests

More recently, I have been working on the measurement of residual stress. Here, we have been improving a relatively new method of mapping residual stresses, known as the contour method, in which the sample to be measured is first carefully cut in two using a wire electrodischarge machine. The deviations from flatness of the cut surfaces are then measured and these data are used in a finite element model to calculate the residual stresses that must have been present before the cut was made.

Teaching interests

I have completed a term of office as the Director of Teaching for the School of Engineering and Innovation (2014 - 2021).

I am a module team member on T176, T276, T802 and Chair of T885