Honours and Awards

• Cited in the U.S. 'Who's Who in Science and Engineering', Marquis 9th Edition, 2006-2007.
• Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) Scholar
• Robinson Research Fellowship, awarded by IEE, 1998-2000.
• Overseas Research Students Award (U.K.), awarded by CVCP, 1997-2000.
• IEE Prize, 1997.
• South Wales Institute of Engineers Prize (U.K.), 1997.
• R G Isaacs Prize, University of Wales Swansea, 1997.
• Member, Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE).
• Invited speaker at many international conferences.

Selected Research Interests

Nanoelectronics

Research interests include the fabrication and characterisation of novel nanoelectronic devices for applications in healthcare, information and energy technology using low-dimensional nanoscale electronic materials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal oxide and nitride nanowires etc. This includes engineering and controlling the properties of the low-dimensional materials, for example in the development of ultra-sensitivity nano-biosensors for the early detection of diseases, short-wavelength lasers for ultra-high density data storage and nano-plasmonics for photovoltaic technology.    

Spintronics

Spintronics exploits both the electron’s charge as well as its spin degrees of freedom, providing new functionality that has the potential to bring about a radical change in the electronics industry. It will have a major role in high density data storage, nanoelectronics, quantum computing, sensors and bio-medical applications. In comparison with present electronics technology, spintronic devices will exhibit far superior performance, such as higher switching speed, greater efficiency, and lower energy consumption. Research interests include the study of wide band-gap dilute magnetic semiconducting (DMS) materials doped either with transition or non-transition metals for room temperature applications.   

Semiconductor Surface and Interface

There is a wide range of semiconductor devices whose ultimate performance is limited by problems associated with their surfaces and interfaces. Therefore, the ability to control these spatial regions is vital in optimising the overall characteristics of the devices, ranging from optoelectronics to spintronics. Similarly, understanding the surface and interface properties of nanomaterials is of paramount important to the development of nanoelectronics due to the extremely large surface to volume ratio of these materials.  Using scanning probe microscopy (e.g. STM, STS, AFM and EFM etc.) and other surface science techniques (e.g. XPS, LEED, AES and SAM etc.), we are able to investigate the electrical, chemical and physical properties of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces with unprecedented details.

Nanocontact to Low-dimensional Semiconducting Materials

Ultimate miniaturisation of devices will inevitably lead to dramatic size reduction of metal contacts made to the active element in the device towards the nanoscale regime. It is well-understood that the Schottky barriers that form at the metal contact would dominate the device performances. In nanometre-dimension Schottky contacts, small-size effects such as quantum confinement and geometry-induced electric field can greatly alter the carrier transport through the contact. Using scanning probe microscopy techniques, these effects will be investigated.

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