Jgwamuri


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!Jephias Gwamuri
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![[Image:jeff_potrait.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.25|Jephias Gwamuri (PhD) [http://www.mse.mtu.edu/ Department of Materials Science & Engineering]]]
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=='''Bio'''==
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'''==


{{User MOST}} 
{{User photovoltaic}}
{{User OSH}}
{{User 3D printing}}        



{{MOST}}
[[Category:MOST users]]
[[Category:MY5970 contributors]]
[[Category:MY5490_users]]
[[Category:MY5777 contributors]]
[[Category:777-2014 People]]
[[Category:Jephias Gwamuri Thesis]]
===Research Interests:===  

*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'''===
'''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===
*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===
* Progress in Photovoltaics, 9.696 (2014), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/%28ISSN%291099-159X, Ref Style[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-159X/homepage/ForAuthors.html]. US$3,000
* Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 5.030(2014),http://www.journals.elsevier.com/solar-energy-materials-and-solar-cells/, Ref style [http://www.elsevier.com/journals/solar-energy-materials-and-solar-cells/0927-0248/guide-for-authors#18000], 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==
====Book Chapters====

*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====
*INCREASING SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY IN HYDROGENATED AMORPHOUS SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH PLASMONIC PERFECT META – ABSORBERS.
http://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etdr/170/

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

====Conference Proceedings====

*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

====Other articles====
* 3D-Printing Technology for Economic Revolution in the Developing World. http://theglobalscientist.com/2015/04/20/3d-printing-technology-for-economic-revolution-in-the-developing-world/

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

==Additional pages to manage:==

*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== 

{{gallery
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|Image:Fig_5(1).jpg|Fig 1:MTU PhD Research Fellow (Jephias Gwamuri) with DNV.KEMA Energy & Sustainability Principal Engineer, Solar (Tim Townsend) & Pete after system installation at KRC.
|Image:Fig_5(3).jpg|Fig 2:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System:System: Effect of snow vs panel angle and ground elevation project
|Image:Fig_1(1).jpg|Fig 3:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System
|Image:Fig_1(2).jpg|Fig 4:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System 
|Image:Fig_1(3).jpg|Fig 5:DNV.GL & MTU-KRC System 
|Image:Fig_4(1).jpg|Fig 6:MTU-KRC System: Solar Tracking system vs panel material type. 
|Image:Fig_4(2).jpg|Fig 7:MTU-KRC System 
|Image:Fig_4(3).jpg|Fig 8:MTU-KRC System 
|Image:Fig_4(4).jpg|Fig 9:MTU-KRC System
|Image:Fig_4(5).jpg|Fig 10:MTU-KRC System
|Image:Fig_4(6).jpg|Fig 11:MTU-KRC System
|Image:Fig_6(1).jpg|Fig 12:Solar Cell Nanotechnology Book 
|Image:Fig_7(1).jpg|Fig 13:PVIC sputter system
|Image:Fig_7(2).jpg|Fig 14:PVIC sputter system
|Image:Fig_7(3).jpg|Fig 15:MTU MBE system
|Image:Fig_8(1).jpg|Fig 16:Log.bk1
|Image:Fig_8(2).jpg|Fig 17:log.bk2 
|Image:Fig_8(3).jpg|Fig 18:MVSystem(PL2&LL)
|Image:Fig_8(4).jpg|Fig 19:MVSystem_ctrl_modules 
|Image:Fig_8(5).jpg|Fig 20:MVSystem_PL3(p-layer)
|Image:Fig_8(6).jpg|Fig 21:MVSystem_RTSE
|Image:Fig_8(7).jpg|Fig 22:MVsystem-Ctrl
|Image:Fig_8(8).jpg|Fig 23:Process_para
|Image:Fig_8(9).jpg|Fig 24:Process_param
|Image:Fig_8(10).jpg|Fig 25:Process_parameters
|Image:Fig_8(11).jpg|Fig 26:Thin_Silicon_lab
|Image:Fig_8(12).jpg|Fig 27:Lab_safety(PVIC,Toledo)
|Image:Fig_9(1).jpg|Fig 28:MOST delta 3D printer
|Image:Fig_9(2).jpg|Fig 29:Spool_holder
|Image:Fig_9(3).jpg|Fig 30:Owl
|Image:Fig_9(4).jpg|Fig 31:Rockwall project
|Image:Fig_9(5).jpg|Fig 32:Rockwall_10%_density1
|Image:Fig_9(6).jpg|Fig 33:Rockwall_10%_density2
|Image:Fig_9(7).jpg|Fig 34:Rockwall_10%_density3 
|Image:Fig_9(8).jpg|Fig 35:Rockwall_10%_density4
|Image:Fig_9(9).jpg|Fig 36:Rockwall_10%_density5
|Image:Fig_9(10).jpg|Fig 37:Celtic_cross Door Handle Plate
|Image:Fig_9(11).jpg|Fig 38:Chicken Feed Holder (assembled)
|Image:Fig_9(12).jpg|Fig 39:Chicken Feed Holde(single print)
|Image:Fig_9(13).jpg|Fig 40:Chicken Feed Holder (bottom )
|Image:Fig_9(14).jpg|Fig 41:Chicken Feed Holder(top_part)
|Image:Fig_10(1).jpg|Fig 42:Solar powered Delta_Side view
|Image:Fig_10(2).jpg|Fig 43:Solar powered Delta_top view
|Image:Fig_10(3).jpg|Fig 43:Solar powered Delta_bottom-up view
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