Franco Gaspari CV
Dr. Franco Gaspari, Ph.D.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Coordinates
Faculty of Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON L1H 7L7
Tel: (905) 721-3111 ext: 2980
Fax: (905) 721-3304
E-mail:
Web: http://science.uoit.ca
Personal
Citizenship: Canadian, Italian
Languages: English, Italian
Married to Anna Gaspari (maiden name Celsi)
Two children (Sylvia b. 1983, Valeria b. 1987)
Home Address:
1 Westover Hill Rd. Toronto, Ontario M6C 3J3
Tel: H (416) 782 6557 – Cell. (647) 293 3065
Education
1991 / Ph.D / University of TorontoThesis: Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy of Hydrogen-Induced Gap States in Amorphous Silicon / Department of Physics
1985 / M. Sc / University of Toronto
Thesis: Capacitive Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) Applied to Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon / Department of Physics
1980 / Laurea (B. Sc.) / University of Bologna
Thesis: Characterization of Highly Doped Thin Crystalline Silicon Films / (Italy)
Department of Physics
Employment
2006-present2004-2006 / Assistant Professor
Adjunct Associate Professor/Instructor
/ University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Science
2004 - 2006 / Research Associate / University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Science
2003-2004 / Instructor/Teaching Assistant
/ University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Science
1991-2003 / Senior Research Associate / University of Toronto
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Photonics Group
2000-2003 / Lecturer / University of Toronto
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
1983-1990 / Teaching Assistant
/ University of Toronto
Dept. of Physics
Research Summary
For more than 20 years I have been working in the field of semiconductor physics both at the experimental and theoretical levels. I have focused on materials and devices research and development programs in the areas of thin film amorphous silicon and carbon and emerging nano-crystalline materials. Amorphous silicon and amorphous carbon have been the subject of considerable research in the past 20 years, in light of their great potential for application in the fields of renewable sustainable energy (photo-voltaic) and biomedical devices.
The main research objectives of my work include the modeling and study of electrical and optical properties of intrinsic and doped amorphous, micro-crystalline and nano-crystalline materials, the development and characterization of photovoltaic devices, the preparation and characterization of diamond-like carbon, carbon nanotubes and the investigation of the potential opto-electronic and biomedical applications of tritiated amorphous silicon and tritiated amorphous carbon.
In particular, I have developed, in collaboration with colleagues at UOIT, a novel treatment for modeling the optical, electronic and structural properties of amorphous materials based on ab-initio Molecular Dynamics simulations. The simulation aspects is complemented by an experimental research program aimed at exploring several opto-electronic properties of these materials and at providing feedback for the modeling results.
I am co-author of over 40 refereed publications, including two invited articles and three major scientific corporate reports, in renowned international journals, such as Journal of Applied Physics, Applied Physics Letters, Philosophical Magazine, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, and Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids.
I was also the principal organizer of the symposium “Italian-Canadian Workshop on Amorphous Materials Science and Technology”, with the collaboration of the University of Toronto, the Turin Polytechnic Institute (Italy), the Italian National Research Center and the University of Trento (Italy). This symposium has produced an ongoing collaboration between the Turin Polytechnic Institute and the University of Toronto.
Here I outline my major past contributions to research (reference numbers indicate the relevant papers as listed in the publications section):
Add Hot Carrier Beta Batteries
Add Staebler-Wronski Effect Solution
Add Ellipsometry paper
n In 1980 I collaborated with the Italian National Research Center (CNR) in an experimental research aimed at the characterization of the electrical properties of highly doped silicon thin films, obtained by ion implantation and activated using laser pulses. This research was included in the program “Investigation on Ion Implantation as a Technique Suitable to Fabricate High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells”, sponsored by the European Economic Community.
n I redesigned and optimized a system for semiconductor spectroscopy (Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy). [23]
n From 1993 to 1995 I was the supervisor of a project financed by ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) Advanced Battery Systems aimed at studying the failure mechanism of Al-SiO2-Si interfaces to be used for the development of chemical batteries. The research was conducted at the University of Toronto where I held the position of Senior Research Associate. Matching grants for the project were provided by NSERC and URIF. [18]
n From 1994 to 2000 I was the coordinator of a project aimed at establishing the luminescent properties of amorphous silicon and amorphous carbon. The project was under the financial assistance of Ontario Hydro in collaboration with the University of Toronto and with matching grants from NSERC and URIF. The research has led to several publications, including an invited article. [2, 8-9, 12-13, 16-17, 19, 37-39, 42-44]
n From 1994 to 1997 I was the research associate in a project sponsored by Litton Industries for the characterization of the failure mechanism of silicon based displays. Matching funds were provided by NSERC and URIF.
n In 1995, in collaboration with colleagues in my group, I was the first to initiate a systematic research of the properties and of the possible applications of tritiated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H:T). This project originated as a 10 year long R&D program between Ontario Hydro Research and University of Toronto. Financial support was provided by NSERC. The research has led to several publications, including an invited article summarizing the importance of the innovative approach of using Tritium for the analysis of several important properties of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon, including the Staebler-Wronski effect. The introduction of tritium into amorphous materials has spurred fundamental studies on the nature of dangling bond defects & metastability and on the influence of tritium on optical and electrical properties. The use of the tracer nature of tritium has led to the study of hydrogen bonding in a-Si:H:T by hydrogen effusion, a technique that complements FTIR. The latter study also showed that tritium in a-Si:H:T is immobilized extremely well (under ambient conditions only the hydrogen in the surface layers is desorbed) and hence the material is an excellent ‘cold’ electron source. This ongoing investigation has also evolved into collaboration between the University of Toronto and UOIT, which is aimed at combining the experimental data with theoretical modeling in order to provide a more detailed and complete understanding of the physics of amorphous semiconductors. [1, 7-8,15, 35-36, 39, 41]
n From 1997 to 2002 I was the co-supervisor of a project aimed at studying the properties of micro- and nano-crystalline semiconductors, in particular thin film hydrogenated silicon and carbon (n/μc-Si:H, n/μc-C:H), and their use in photo-voltaic technologies. This is a semiconductor materials and devices research program with long term development objectives in the area of thin film photovoltaics as well as microelectronics, photonics and biomedical applications. Financial support for this project was provided by NSERC and MMO. [8-9, 12, 32-34]
n From 2002 to 2003 I was the co-supervisor of a project sponsored by ARISE Technologies and MMO aimed at the development and optimization of thin film photovoltaics using the DC saddle-field technique. Financial support was provided by NSERC and MMO.
n I developed and patented, in collaboration with colleagues in the group, a new method for the preparation and processing of thin film materials, the Saddle Field Glow Discharge. The patents rights to the DC saddle-field deposition process for all photovoltaic applications reside with ARISE Technologies Corporation (Kitchener, Ontario) and for all non-photovoltaic applications reside with NexxDigm Technologies Inc. (Toronto, Ontario).
Research Grants and Contracts
· Recipient of OPIC grant for the development of a patent “Hot Carrier Beta-Battery”. Amount awarded: Cdn. $10,000 (January 2009).
· Recipient an NSERC Discovery Grant Individual; “Staebler-Wronski effect in Tritiated Amorphous Silicon”. Amount awardwd: Cdn. $ $13,084 (x 5 years) April 2008.
· Co-Investigator of “Sonus/PV (Photo-Voltaic) Highway Traffic Noise Barrier” project. Started Jan. 2006. UOIT is the Lead Institution. This is a joint project between Faculty of Science at UOIT, Faculty of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto, and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Materials & Manufacturing Ontario (MMO). Project duration: 2 years, extended till August 2008. Funding: $400,000.
· Recipient of a CFI-LOF grant application for a FTIR spectrometer and a UV/VIS spectrometer for Materials Science Characterization Laboratory (Principal Investigator). Funding: $86,360.00
· Recipient as Co-applicant of an NSERC RTI Grant, titled “Thermochemical Analysis of Materials”. Amount awarded: Cdn. $ 63,297.00. March 2007.
· University start-up grant $100,000
Other Past Contract Funding
Here I list the research contracts from industrial partners and government grants for which I was the senior research associate or the co-supervisor:
Year / Industrial Partner / Granting Agency / Total Amount1993 / ABB/Hydro / NSERC/URIF / $280,000.00
1994 / ABB/Hydro/Litton / NSERC/URIF / $310,000.00
1995 / ABB/Hydro/ Litton / NSERC/URIF / $230,000.00
1996 / Hydro/ Litton / NSERC / $230,000.00
1997 / Hydro/ Litton / NSERC / $120,000.00
1998 / Hydro / NSERC/MMO / $200,000.00
1999 / Hydro / NSERC/MMO / $200,000.00
2000 / Hydro / NSERC/MMO / $250,000.00
2001 / Hydro / NSERC/MMO / $250,000.00
2002 / ARISE/Hydro / NSERC/MMO / $370,000.00
2003 / ARISE / NSERC/MMO / $250,000.00
Ongoing Research Collaborations
Turin Polytechnic Institute (Turin, Italy) Prof. A. Tagliaferro
Optical, Electrical and Structural Properties of Diamond-like Carbon
Amorphous Semiconductors, Carbon Nanotubes
Dept. of Physics, University of Tennessee (US) Prof. T. Allen
Micro/Nano-Crystalline Materials
Medical Applications
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto Prof. N. Kherani
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto Prof. S. Zukotynski
Optical, Electrical and Structural Properties of Amorphous Semiconductors
Preparation and Characterization of Thin Film Based Solar Cells
Micro/Nano-Crystalline Materials
Photovoltaics and Medical Applications
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto Prof. K. Plataniotis
Electronic Monitoring and Integration with PV Technology
Faculty of Science, UOIT Prof. A. Chkrebtii
Faculty of Science, UOIT Prof. J.M. Perz
Modeling of Hydrogenated and Tritiated Amorphous Silicon
PV Applications
Publications Summary:
Over 40 refereed publications, 3 corporate reports, 1 primary US patent, 1 Canadian patent, 2 invited articles.
Patents and Publications
Invited Articles:
1. T. Kosteski, P. Stradins, N.P. Kherani, F. Gaspari, W.T. Shmayda, L. Sidhu, S. Zukotynski, “Tritiated Amorphous Silicon Betavoltaic Devices”, IEE Proc. Circuits, Devices and Syst., special issue on Amorphous and Microcrystalline Semiconductor Devices, 150 no. 4 (Aug 2003) 274-281.
2. S. Zukotynski, F. Gaspari, D. Manage, V. Pletnev and E. Sagnes, "Hydrogenated amorphous carbon deposition by saddle-field glow discharge", Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 595, pp 239-248 (2000).
Refereed Journals:
- I. M. Kupchak, F. Gaspari, A. I. Shkrebtii, and J. M. Perz, J. Appl. Phys. 104, 123525-1 (2008).
- N.P. Kherani, B. Liu, K. Virk, T. Kosteski, F. Gaspari, W.T. Shmayda, S. Zukotynski, and K.P. Chen, “Hydrogen Effusion from Tritiated Amorphous Silicon”, J. Appl. Phys. 103, 024906 (2008).
- A.V. Sachenko, I.O. Sokolovskyi, A. Kazakevitch, A.I. Shkrebtii, F. Gaspari “Modeling of photoconversion efficiency for hydrogenated amorphous Si p-i-n structures” Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 10 p. 60-66 (2007)
- I. M. Kupchak, F. Gaspari, A.I. Shkrebtii, J. Perz, available online at Condensed Matter Archive. http://arxiv.org/abs/0711.0912 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] (2007).
- S. Costea, S. Pisana, N.P. Kherani, F. Gaspari., T.Kosteski,.T. Shmayda, S. Zukotynski, “Use of tritium in the study of defects in amorphous silicon” Fusion science and technology 48, 712-715 (2005).
8. S. Zukotynski, F. Gaspari, N. Kherani, T. Kosteski, K. Law, W.T. Shmayda, and C.M. Tan, “Metastability in Tritiated Amorphous Silicon”, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 299-302, 476-481 (2002).
9. D.P. Manage, J.M. Perz, F. Gaspari, E. Sagnes, and S. Zukotynski, "Atmospheric Aging and Thermal Annealing Effects in a-C:H Thin Films", J. NonCryst. Solids 270, 247-254 (2000).
10. F. Gaspari, T. Kosteski, S. Zukotynski, N. P. Kherani, and W. Shmayda, "Time Evolution of the Density of States of Tritiated Amorphous Silicon", Phil. Mag. B, 80, 561 (2000).
11. R.E. Johanson, S.O. Kasap, F. Gaspari, D. Yeghikyan, and S. Zukotynski, "1/f Noise in p-type Amorphous Silicon", J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 18 (2), 661-664, (2000).
12. T. Y. Leung, W. F. Man, P. K. Lim, W. C. Chan, F. Gaspari, and S. Zukotynski, "Determination of the sp3/sp2 Ratio of a-C:H by XPS and XAES", J. NonCryst. Solids 254, 156-160 (1999).
13. T. Y. Leung, W. F. Man, S. K. So, P. K. Lim, W. C. Chan, F. Gaspari, and S. Zukotynski, "Photo-thermal Deflection Spectroscopy and Transmission Measurements of a-C:H Films", J. NonCryst. Solids 254, 151-155 (1999).
14. A. Dorofeev, F. Gaspari, D. Manage, E. Sagnes, T. Kosteski, and S. Zukotynski, "Optical Characterization of Light-emitting Porous Silicon Covered by Transparent a-C:H Coating", in Application of Photonic Technology 3: Closing the Gap between Theory, Development and Application, George A. Lampropoulos, and Roger A. Lessard, Editors, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3491, 665-670, (1998).
15. T. Kosteski, N.P. Kherani, F. Gaspari, S. Zukotynski, and W. Shmayda, "Tritiated Amorphous Silicon Films and Devices", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 16(2), 893-896 (1998).
16. W.C.W. Chan, F. Gaspari, T. Allen, P.K. Lim, E. Moreno, E. Sagnes, D. Manage, J. Szurmak, and S. Zukotynski, "Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Doped Hydrogenated Diamond-like Amorphous Carbon Films deposited using the DC Saddle-Field Glow-Discharge Technique", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 16(2), 889-892 (1998).
17. M. Pelton, S.K. O'Leary, F. Gaspari, and S. Zukotynski, "The Optical Absorption Edge of Diamond-Like Carbon: A Quantum Well Model", J. Appl. Phys. 83, 1029-35 (1998).
18. F. Dadabhai, F. Gaspari, S. Zukotynski and C. Bland, "Reduction of silicon dioxide by aluminum in MOS structures", J. Appl. Phys. 80, 65056509 (1996).
19. F. Gaspari, P.K. Lim, R.V. Kruzelecky and S. Zukotynski, "Luminescence in hydrogenated amorphous carbon grown by dc saddlefield glowdischarge decomposition of methane", J. Appl. Phys. 79, 26842688 (1996).
20. P.K. Lim, F. Gaspari and S. Zukotynski, "Structural properties of aC:H deposited by saddlefield glowdischarge decomposition of methane", J. Appl. Phys. 78, 53075312 (1995).