DrMichael Ruppert

Dr Ruppert's research topics are situated within the area of Micro Precision Mechatronics and as such bridge the gap between classical electrical / control engineering and emerging applications in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), high performance microscopy and nanotechnology. Dr Ruppert has made significant contributions to the design, instrumentation and control of active microcantilevers for multifrequency and ultra-high resolution atomic force microscopy, invented several high-speed and multifrequency demodulation techniques, and developed a novel dynamic tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method.He lead-authored the publication on the first silicon-on-insulator MEMS single-chip atomic force microscope (AFM) in the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems . His culminated work demonstrates significant advancement in miniaturising an entire AFM down to the single-chip level, pathing the way for a portable, low-cost, high-throughput, high-resolution imaging system. To date, Dr Ruppert’s work has resulted in over 60 publications including 2 book chapters, 36 journal articles, and 17 fully-refereed conference proceedings.

RESEARCH FUNDING

Dr Ruppert has received over $3.5 million in academic research funding including more than $540,000 in direct research funding from industrial partners. He currently holds a 2024 ARC Discovery Early Researcher Award (DECRA) and is a Chief Investigator on a 2024 ARC Discovery Project and 2025 ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant. Selected major grants are listed below.

• 2025, $680,000, Co-CI, Hybrid Integration: Advancing Semiconductors, Quantum and Photonics, ARC LIEF (LE250100147)
• 2024, $444,471, Sole CI, Integrated active microcantilevers for high-throughput nanometrology, ARC DECRA (DE240100507)
• 2024, $700,651, Co-CI, Unlocking the mechanisms of vibro-acoustic communication in termites, ARC DP (DP240101536)
• 2024, $288,000, Lead CI Nearmap Pty Ltd, Australia
• 2022, $176,000, Lead CI Breville Pty Ltd, Australia
• 2021, $231,000, Co-CI (2nd), Subsurface Atomic Force Microscopy using Dual Probes, ARC DP (DP210103383)
• 2021, $375,782, Co-CI (2nd), Femtoliter Liquid Deposition Facility, ARC LIEF (LE210100184)
• 2021, $22,338, Sole CI, Nearfield Instruments B.V., The Netherlands
• 2021, $60,000, Co-CI, Breville Pty Ltd, Australia
• 2019, $17,884, Lead CI, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany
• 2019, $813,000, Co-CI, A femtosecond laser micromachining facility for a wide range of materials, ARC LIEF (LE190100066)