[Profile]
[Research Projects]
[Working style]
[Activities]
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[Education]
[Teaching experience]
[Major courses]
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Profile
- Highly self-motivated with demonstrated innovation and problem-solving ability in the field of electronic
materials (e.g. solar cell Si) and strong interpersonal skills
- Experimental techniques: e-gun evaporation, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)
- Rich experience in modeling and computer simulation, using MatLab, FlexPDE, Mathematica, and PSPICE
Additonal experience in digital circuit design using VHDL
- Computer skills: Unix/Linux/Windows; HTML, LaTeX; C/C++; etc.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
Education
- Duke University, Durham, NC (GPA: 4.0/4.0)
Ph.D. in Materials Science, September 2007
M.S. in Materials Science, 2005
- Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China (GPA: 3.8/4.0)
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, 2002
Graduated with honor, 2002; First degree fellowship, 1998-2002
Research projects
(Engineering training experience included)
Duke University, Durham NC
Research Assistant, 2002-2007
- Gettering in solar cell
- Explained how volume misfits between the metal precipitates and Si drastically prolong the time needed
for Al gettering of solar cell Si. Proposed methods to effectively reduce the gettering time in the
presence of metal precipitates.
- Demonstrated that optical-assisted Al gettering process can reduce Al gettering time from tens of hours
to several minutes.
- Contribute in understanding the predominance of alternate diffusion mechanisms for the interstitial-
substitutional impurities in Si.
(Above projects are financially supported by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)).
- One-dimensional hetero-junctions and pn-junctions
- Proposed a general model which can describe the concentration profiles of nanowire junctions. Explained
the linear dependence of junction width on the wire diameter and the semiconductor solubility in the liquid
droplet. Proposed methods to reduce the junction widths.
- Nanowire growth
- Proposed a model determining the obtainable minimum size of nanowires (NWs) grown by vapor-liquid-solid
(VLS) process, one of the most important methods for growing semiconductor nanostructures, which revived
the study on VLS mechanisms, and spurred a flurry of papers on the thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of
the process.
- Derived the growth rate formula based on a two-dimensional island nucleation-growth model, for the
first time in the literature, using all physically meaningful quantities without empirical fitting factors.
The model is, to the best of my knowledge, currently the only one that can fit an extensive set of growth
rate data on Si whiskers/nanowires.
Max-Plank-Institute for Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
Visiting Scientist, Oct-Dec 2005
- Nanowire morphology-chemical tension
- Formulated a model for describing the morphology of the growing nanowire, from the beginning of
growth to either a steadily growing wire with a constant diameter or a hillock for which the growth
process terminates. Included, for the first time in the literature, a dynamic chemical
tension in analyzing the system equilibrium configuration, in addition to the normally considered static
physical tensions.
- Crystallization of SiO2
- Participated in the discovery that lithium vapor can catalyze the crystallization of amorphous silica
which is integrated in the common silicon microstructures.
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Research Assistant, Senior college student, 2001-2002
- Electronic packaging
- Participated training on various packaging techniques, including photolithography and wet etching.
- Researched on optimizing Pb-free solder and micro printing techniques.
- Ceramic materials preparation
- Participated training on ceramic materials preparation using high-pressure ovens and liquid methods
for thin films.
Teaching experience
Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
Teaching Assistant
- Thermodynamics, Jan-May 2007
- Structure/Properties of Solids, Jan-May 2005
- Thermodynamics, Jan-Dec, 2004
Working style
- Self-taught style; learn new knowledge and adapt to new environments quickly
- Strong independent work style and excellent teamwork skills
- Well-organized, responsible and passionate
- Willing to perform basic tasks and move on to solve complex problems
Major courses
- Semiconductor Devices for IC
- Optical Communication System
- Advanced Digital System Design
- Numerical Analysis
- Quantum Mechanics
- Thermodynamics
- Integrated Circuit Engineering
Activities
- Materials Research Society, student member, 2004-present
- Summer Course in Photonics, July 2003, Fitzpatrick Center, Duke University
- DukeNANO 2003 Program Workshop, May 2003, Duke University
Last updated: Aug 29, 2007