Low-Temperature Solution-Processed CuInSSe Thin-Film Solar Cell

 

Dr. William Hou received his B.S. in 2002 from UC-Berkeley, and recently received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. He has extensive knowledge in solution-processing of semiconducting materials for photovoltaics application. During his Ph.D. work, he pioneered a low-temperature process for solution-deposited CIGS material, and has successfully demonstratd nearly 10% efficiency using this method in two years. In addition to the CIGS material, he has also worked on the processings of perriferal layers in a CIGS solar cell including transparent conducting oxides, metalic back-contacts, and chemical-bath deposition of transition-metal chalcogenides. Dr. Hou also has experience in research activities relating to solution-processing of conjugated polymers for LED and solar cell applications.

Outside of his academic experience, Dr. Hou has worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a research assistant in the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Group, Chen Tech Industries as a engineer/microscopist, and Hughes Research Laboratory as a summer intern in the Sensors and Materials Group. He is currently the chair for the UCLA student chapter of the Society of Information Display. Also, he is an instructor for the Science Education and Outreach Program at the California NanoSystems Institute where he conducts workshops relating to nanotechnology for high school science teachers.