Brian Rounsaville

Research Scientist II at Georgia Institute of Technology

Conyers, Georgia, United States

About

Experience

  • Research Scientist II at Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Laboratory Technician at University Center for Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Education (UCEP)

    • Processed silicon wafers into solar cells using rapid thermal processing • Tested and recorded experimental results of solar cell power output • Made recommendations on solar power processing procedures • Learned semiconductor processing skills in clean room environments • Learned Lab safety protocol

  • Research Scientist at University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics (UCEP) – Georgia Institute of Technology
    May 2012 - Present · 14 yrs 3 mos

    Management Scope • Provided technical evaluation on cutting edge materials from commercial partners (MEMC, GT Advanced Materials, REC, Solar World, Sixtron, SpaceX, Osazda Energy LLC, and Leading Edge Crystal Technologies (LECT)) • Aided in grant proposal writing targeting commercial funding • Relationship management directly engaging the stakeholders • Lead project closing by ensuring deliverables validation and performing technical reporting (SpaceX, Osazda) • Center supply chain, purchasing, shipping, and equipment maintenance team lead 2018 – Present • Essential personnel designation during 2020 COVID shutdown Research Scope • Internal focus on process improvement, optimization, and cutting-edge process integration • Study and development of cell structure applications to advance multi-crystalline Si materials. • Optimization of the silicon component for tandem Perovskite/Si architectures. (New technology evaluation and validation) • Designed and implemented experiments to satisfy contracts for high efficiency and experimental solar cell structures with considerations for space application (SpaceX, Osazda) • Design of experiment and hypothesis testing for joint experiments with commercial partners and universities for the Silicon Solar Consortium (SiSoC) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy • Trained several PhD. students in developing and fabricating advanced cell structures • Set an internal single junction solar cell efficiency record of 23.8% on tunnel dielectric cell technology • Collaborated with GTRI Faculty to provide silicon solar cells (various structures for radiation response testing on satellite systems (Three Collaborations)) • Authored and contributed to several scientific publications (Listing available via request)

  • Research Scientist at University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Education (UCEP)
    Sep 2004 - May 2012 · 7 yrs 9 mos

    • Designed and implemented experiments to satisfy government DOE and commercial contracts for high efficiency and experimental solar cell structures (MEMC, GE) • Annual and semiannual report writing for contracts and DOE requirements and scientific publications • Study and development of cell structure application to multi-crystalline silicon materials • Participated in public speaking and lecturing in the photovoltaic field • Developed high efficiency commercial scale inline belt emitter solar cells • Fabricated world record solar cells using photolithography on low-cost silicon materials • Provided training in the photolithography process for high efficiency solar cells to graduate students Photo Diode Device and Material Characterization - • Power analysis (Lighted I-V current-voltage characteristics), quantum efficiency, diode characteristics (saturation current, ideality factor) • Minority carrier lifetime analysis (Photoconductance decay, quasi-steady state photoconductance) • Optical/Scanning Electron Microscopy • Single and multi-wavelength ellipsometry • Light beam induced current LBIC scanning, FTIR oxygen/carbon analysis • Contact resistance analysis Semiconductor Processing - • Chemical processing (acid cleaning, etching, Isotropic and anisotropic texturing) • High temperature diffusion, oxidation, and annealing in conventional furnace, Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP), and metal and ceramic conveyer belt furnace systems • Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide films • Photolithography definition of contacts on multiple substrate types and cell structures. • Vacuum evaporation of metal contacts and antireflection coatings • Thick film metallization by screen-printing and metal sintering • Conducted research on multi junction solar cells with a-Si and tandem structures • ION Implanted P/N Junctions

  • Laboratory Technician at University Center for Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Education (UCEP)
    Aug 2002 - Aug 2004 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Processed solar cells using industrial screen-printing, and rapid thermal processing • Optimized and processed high efficiency solar cells using Photolithography • Completed screen-printing maintenance runs for quality control purposes • Refined and expanded semiconductor processing skills • Provided training in the photolithography process for high efficiency solar cells for ENEA.