Tell me a little about yourself!
I am starting my 4th year at NC State. I’m in Materials Science & Engineering, and I am co-advised by Dr. Nadia El-Masry, and Dr. Salah Bedair (electrical engineering). My career goals currently are to be able to continue to work in research & development after grad school. I really enjoy work with semiconducting materials, so I hope to be able to continue exploring them in my career. For fun, I enjoy playing with my two dogs, Duck and Daisy, crocheting, and baking!
The instruments I primarily use are the Asylum MFP-3D classic Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Rigaku SmartLab X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). I enjoy the AFM because it is an easily accessible instrument to get quick feedback on the surface morphology of my samples, and I am able to get good resolution images. The Rigaku XRD is a great tool for us to do high-resolution work to get information on the crystal quality of our materials.
What have you been researching and how is it impacting the community?
I research InGaN for LED and solar cell applications. We are interested in looking into expanding InGaN based devices into higher wavelengths, as well as addressing the challenges in InGaN based device performance at these wavelengths. I focus heavily on the material quality and surface morphology of the InGaN templates we grow, to help with performance of the device grown on top of it.
A material system that can span the entire visible spectrum efficiently is of great interest for optoelectronics, namely in display applications, solar cells, and solid state lighting. By enhancing the efficiency of LEDs across the desired emission range, energy consumption costs can be reduced, and conversely, solar energy collection can be enhanced.
I hope that my research will contribute to a more efficient green and red emission LED.
What have you learned from your experience at AIF?
I have learned so much about materials characterization from AIF. The very knowledgeable staff at AIF is always very approachable and available to answer questions when I am stumped about a puzzling result. I feel that AIF has helped me become a more independent researcher since I am able to get hands on experience in characterization of my samples.
Best thing about AIF in 5 words or less?
Helpful, knowledgeable, and kind staff!
Is there a staff member at AIF that has helped you?
I can’t just name one! Chuck and Phillip are always so helpful with AFM questions and troubleshooting. BB is very knowledgeable and does great work with XRD. Elaine is also so supportive with setting up experiments with compositional analysis on SIMS. Anna is so kind and answers all sorts of logistical questions for me! The AIF staff have played a huge role in my education!