Post Graduate Fellows
Limited Term Researchers are academics or professionals whose project scope is of a specific nature. The term of the appointment is typically based on the fulfillment of that specific project.
The IEC is please to collaborate with the following researchers:
Dominik Berg
Dominik M. Berg is a Limited Term Researcher at the University of Delaware's Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC). He studied Physics at the University of Bonn, Germany, and at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia, before obtaining his "Diplom"/master's degree in physics from the University of Bonn in 2008. The research for his master's degree concerned organic field effect transistors based on quinacridone. In 2012, Dominik received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Luxembourg. His doctoral research was focused on understanding the formation of high quality Cu2ZnSnS4 absorber layers for high efficient thin film solar cells, and on the discrimination of possible secondary phases of the Cu-Zn-Sn-S system from Cu2ZnSnS4. As part of the research for his Ph.D., a novel annealing approach to form Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin films was introduced and patented. Dominik joined the IEC in 2012, where his research focuses on the development of the selenization/sulfization of metal precursors for the Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 thin film formation, as well as on the incorporation of Na into the Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 thin film absorber layer.
Kunhee Han
Kunhee Han has been working on thin film solar cells since he started his graduate study in 2003. He obtained a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, USA in 2009. His graduate study focused on metal oxide (Cu2O, CuO and ZnO) synthesis by using electrochemical method for low cost and high efficiency inorganic solar cells. He worked on the fabrication of wet chemical based p-n homojunction Cu2O solar cells and the development of the metal oxide doping technique such as electro-doping and thermal diffusion doping. In 2010, he joined Tao Companies LLC and worked on spray pyrolysis process development for transparent conducting oxide deposition superstrate type thin film solar cell application. He joined IEC in 2012 and has been working on the performance improvement of CuInSe2 based photovoltaics by controlling Na dosage and incorporation methods.
Kihwan Kim
He received his B.S. degree (2000), Master's degree (2002) and Ph.D. degree (2006) in Material Science from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. His degree courses included the development of a close-spaced sublimation technique for CdTe solar cells, the demonstration of high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells using co-evaporation, and the development of Cd-free buffer layers for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. Later, his work during the Ph. D. course was transferred to LG-Innotek for developing commercial scale-up technology for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. In 2007, he moved to Samsung Institute of Science and Technology in Samsung Electronics and served as a R&D staff member for two and a half years. During this time, his research mainly concerned the resistive switching mechanism in oxide materials and the development of extremely high current oxide-based diodes for a non-volatile memory application. In 2009, he moved to the USA and joined the Institute of Energy Conversion. Currently, his primary topic of interest is development of selenization/sulfization of metal precursors for Cu(InGa)(SeS)2 film formation and demonstration of flexible Cu(InGa)(SeS)2 solar cells using the selenization/sulfization technique. He has authored and co-authored 17 journal papers, 13 conference papers, and 13 patents.
Jes Larsen
Jes Larsen is a Limited Term Researcher at IEC. He has a multidisciplinary background with a master's degree in nanomaterials obtained at the University of Aalborg, Denmark in 2008. The research for his master's degree concerned interfaces in stone wool composite materials. Jes received his Ph.D. degree in Physics in 2011 from the University of Luxembourg. His doctoral research was focused on inhomogeneities in epitaxial copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin films using photoluminescence as a primary characterization technique. At IEC he will do research on CIGS devices with a superstrate structure.
JinWoo Lee
JinWoo Lee is a Limited Term Researcher at the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware. JinWoo received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oregon and prior to that studied at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea for his bachelor's and master's degrees in Physics. He has prior experience as a senior research engineer. At IEC he will do research on a high efficiency project with Ag alloy CIGS solar cells.
James Mutitu
James Mutitu is a Limited Term Researcher at the Institute of Energy Conversion having recently earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on light trapping in thin film solar cells.