User:Jgwamuri

User data
Name	Jephias Gwamuri
Affiliations	Michigan Technological University
Interests	3D printing, MOST, photovoltaic, OSH
Groups	MOST users MY5970 contributors MY5490 users MY5777 contributors 777-2014 People
Registered	2012
Impact	4,541
Contributions	Four Point Resistivity and Conductivity Type Measurements protocol: MOST Chicken Feed Holder Ellipsometry protocol: MOST Perkin-Elmer RF Sputtering System-6 Inch protocol: MOST Plasmonic perfect meta-absobers for a-Si PV devices Focussed Ion beam (FIB) protocol: MOST Bandgap engineering of multijunction photovoltaic cells for spectral albedo of natural surfaces E-beam Deposition protocol: MOST Solar Panels holders (Solar powered delta) Chenlong Nanobeads Project

I obtained my PhD in Material Science and Engineering from Michigan Tech. My Ph.D. research was aimed at exploiting plasmonics and photonics to design and fabricate plasmonic - metamaterial based solar cells. The project aimed to explore the extent to which it is possible to manage solar radiation efficiently using plasmonic metamaterial perfect absorbers integrated in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based solar photovoltaic devices. This knowledge will contribute to increasing the efficiency and lowering the cost of production of solar cells. The project also included aspects of Solar PV devices fabrication, designing of open source ellipsometer and four point probe stations as well as off-grid and grid connected PV system designing and optimization.

I have been a member of Professor Joshua Pearce's Michigan Tech's Open Sustainability Technology [MOST] Research Group since August 2012. My specialties include thin film characterization using Variable Angle Spectroscopy Ellipsometry (WVASE32 and completeEASY), Four Point Probe (4PP)systems, Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM/SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy and Profilometer techniques. My current skills also include thin film growth techniques using PECVD, PVD ( e-beam evaporation and sputter deposition systems), semiconductor/micro-fabrication processing, clean room techniques and 3D printing.

Research[edit | edit source]

Research Interests[edit | edit source]

Solar PV Conversion Efficiency,
Plasmonics & Metamaterials in Photovoltaics,
Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCO (ITO, ZnO, AZO))growth techniques & characterization
PV Systems Design and Optimization
3D Printing, Open Source Hardware and Appropriate Technology
Snow effect on PV systems project, http://www.mtukrc.org/weather.htm
3D Printing of Solar Cell
Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency
System engineering and integration

Research Activities, Tools used & Skills[edit | edit source]

Film growth/fabrication processes

e-beam deposition- Federick system EB 12
Thermal evaporation-Denton Vacuum E502
Sputter deposition- Kurt J. Lesker Co (R301/MC2),Kurt J. Lesker Co utility sputter(ATX-600/RFX-600), Perkin-Elmer 2400 series
PECVD cluster tool deposition for a-Si:H. - MVSystems.Inc
Self-assembling Silver(Ag)nano-particles
PV systems data monitoring and analysis

Thin film characterization

4 Point Probe measurements:- Lucas Lab Pro 4, MTU open-source 4-Point Probe system
Thickness measurements:- Veeco Dektak 150 profilometer,Ellipsometry
Ellipsometry characterization:- M2000 FI-ESM-200AXY SE, M2000 DI SE, VU-302 VUV VASE, VB-250 VASE, IR VASE
Film morphology and compositional analysis:- JEOL 6400 SEM, Hitachi S4700 FE-SEM, FB2000 FIB, XRD

Solar PV devices characterization

QE measurements-QEX10 PV Measurements, Inc"
I-V measurements-Solar Simulator

Current Projects[edit | edit source]

Optimization of Silver (Ag) nano-particles
Fabrication of a-Si:H cells (PECVD)
Characterization of a-Si:H cells (QE and I_V).
Ag nanoparticles integration on a-Si:H cells and device characterization.
3D-Printers.
Snow effect on PV systems study

Target Journals in My Sub-field[edit | edit source]

Progress in Photovoltaics, 9.696 (2014), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291099-159X, Ref Style[1]. US$3,000
Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 5.030(2014),http://www.journals.elsevier.com/solar-energy-materials-and-solar-cells/, Ref style [2], US$3,300.
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 3.0 (2014), http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?reload=true&punumber=5503869, Ref style - IEEE, US$1,750
International Journal of Photoenergy, 2.66 (2014), http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/, Ref style- IEEE, US$1250
Scientific Reports, 5.078 (2014), http://www.nature.com/srep/about/index.html, Ref style - Nature, US$1,495

Publications[edit | edit source]

Book Chapters[edit | edit source]

Solar Cell nanotechnology. Chapter 10: Advances in Plasmonic Light Trapping in Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaic Devices. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-111868625X,subjectCd-NT10.html

Dissertation[edit | edit source]

INCREASING SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY IN HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH PLASMONIC PERFECT META – ABSORBERS.

http://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etdr/170/

Journal articles[edit | edit source]

Exchanging Ohmic Losses in Metamaterial Absorbers with Useful Optical Absorption for Photovoltaics (I.F-5.578). http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140509/srep04901/full/srep04901.html
Multi-resonant silver nano-disk patterned thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells for SWE compensation (I.F - 2.183). http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/116/9/10.1063/1.4895099
Design of Multijunction Photovoltaic Cells Optimized for Varied Atmospheric Conditions (I.F - 1.563).http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2014/514962/
Reversing the Trend of Large Scale and Centralization in Manufacturing: The Case of Distributed Manufacturing of Customizable 3-D-Printable Self-Adjustable Glasses http://www.librelloph.com/challengesinsustainability/article/view/cis-2-1-30
Limitations of Ultra-Thin Transparent Conducting Oxides for Integration into Plasmonic-Enhanced Thin Film Solar Photovoltaic Devices. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40243-015-0055-8/fulltext.html#CR14
Impact of Snow and Ground Interference on Solar Photovoltaic Electric System Performance (I.F-3.165). http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7219369&sortType%3Dasc_p_Sequence%26filter%3DAND(p_Publication_Number%3A5503869)%26rowsPerPage%3D50
High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/4/1/3/htm
Influence of Oxygen Concentration on the Performance of Ultra-Thin RF Magnetron Sputter Deposited Indium Tin Oxide Films as a Top Electrode for Photovoltaic Devices I.F-2.651). http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/9/1/63/html
A New Method of Preparing Highly Conductive Ultra-Thin Indium Tin Oxide for Plasmonic-Enhanced Thin Film Solar Photovoltaic Devices (I.F - 4.784). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024816000416
Open-source automated mapping four-point probe (2.654)." Materials 10, no. 2 (2017): 110.:http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/2/110/htm.
Enhancement of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Front-Surface Hexagonal Plasmonic Arrays from Nanoscale Lithography (I.F - 2.054), Journal of Optics, 19, no. 7 (2017) 075901:http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2040-8986/aa7291/meta
General Design Procedures for Airport-Based Solar Photovoltaic Systems. Energies (I.F -2.262) 2017, 10, 1194:http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/8/1194/htm
A Study of Applications of 3D printing technology and potential applications in the plastic thermoforming industry (I.F - 1.645): http://iosrjen.org/Papers/vol7_issue8/Version-1/C0708011622.pdf.

Articles Under Review/Accepted/In-print[edit | edit source]

Ambient-dependent Agglomeration and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Response of Self-Assemble Silver Nano-particles for Plasmonic Photovoltaic Devices. J. Phot. Energy

Conference Proceedings[edit | edit source]

Controlling optical absorption in metamaterial absorbers for plasmonic solar cells. http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=2434713
DESIGN OF PV SOLAR HOME SYSTEM FOR USE IN URBAN ZIMBABWE (Nov. 2010). http://www.appropriatetech.net/?q=content/icat-4-energy-paper-titles.
The Viability of Nanotechnology-based InGaN Solar Photovoltaic Devices for Sustainable Energy Generation. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9030478
Open source 3D printers: an appropriate technology for building low cost optics labs for the developing communities: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10452/104522S/Open-source-3D-printers--an-appropriate-technology-for-building/10.1117/12.2269852.full?SSO=1.
Open Source 3-D Printers: An Appropriate Technology for Developing Communities.https://osf.io/uq9g6

Slides and Vedeos[edit | edit source]

http://audioslides.elsevier.com//ViewerSmall.aspx?source=1&doi=10.1016/j.solmat.2016.01.028">

Additional pages to manage[edit | edit source]

Spectrometric Ellipsometry Protocol Ellipsometry protocol: MOST
Literature review Plasmonic Perfect Meta-Absobers for a-Si PV Devices
Focused Ion Beam Protocol Focussed Ion beam (FIB) protocol: MOST
E-beam deposition Protocol E-beam Deposition protocol: MOST
Four Point Resistivity and Conductivity Type Measurements protocol: MOST
Perkin-Elmer RF Sputtering System-6 Inch protocol: MOST
OSAT Project Chicken Feed Holder
Solar Powered 3D Printer Solar Panels holders (Solar powered delta)
Chenlong Nanobeads Project

Image gallery[edit | edit source]

Fig 1:MTU PhD Research Fellow (Jephias Gwamuri) with DNV.KEMA Energy & Sustainability Principal Engineer, Solar (Tim Townsend) & Pete after system installation at KRC.
Fig 2:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System:System: Effect of snow vs panel angle and ground elevation project
Fig 3:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System
Fig 4:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System
Fig 5:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System
Fig 6:MTU-KRC System: Solar Tracking system vs panel material type.
Fig 7:MTU-KRC System
Fig 8:MTU-KRC System
Fig 9:MTU-KRC System
Fig 10:MTU-KRC System
Fig 11:MTU-KRC System
Fig 12:Solar Cell Nanotechnology Book
Fig 13:PVIC sputter system
Fig 14:PVIC sputter system
Fig 15:MTU MBE system
Fig 16:Log.bk1
Fig 17:log.bk2
Fig 18:MVSystem(PL2&LL)
Fig 19:MVSystem_ctrl_modules
Fig 20:MVSystem_PL3(p-layer)
Fig 21:MVSystem_RTSE
Fig 22:MVsystem-Ctrl
Fig 23:Process_para
Fig 24:Process_param
Fig 25:Process_parameters
Fig 26:Thin_Silicon_lab
Fig 27:Lab_safety(PVIC,Toledo)
Fig 28:MOST delta 3D printer
Fig 29:Spool_holder
Fig 30:Owl
Fig 31:Rockwall project
Fig 32:Rockwall_10%_density1
Fig 33:Rockwall_10%_density2
Fig 34:Rockwall_10%_density3
Fig 35:Rockwall_10%_density4
Fig 36:Rockwall_10%_density5
Fig 37:Celtic_cross Door Handle Plate
Fig 38:Chicken Feed Holder (assembled)
Fig 39:Chicken Feed Holde(single print)
Fig 40:Chicken Feed Holder (bottom )
Fig 41:Chicken Feed Holder(top_part)
Fig 42:Solar powered Delta_Side view
Fig 43:Solar powered Delta_top view
Fig 43:Solar powered Delta_bottom-up view