Robert Ireland, a graduate student research in Professor Howard Katz’s research group, has been selected to deliver a talk at the Spring 2014 meeting of the Materials Research Society. Robert’s presentation will be titled “Thermoelectric Behavior of N-Channel Conducting Polymers,” and will focus on his research into the use of a recently synthesized polymer which could be of use in energy applications.
“Harvesting energy and developing alternative energy sources has always been my most favorite focus in research. Heat is being wasted everywhere, and turning this waste heat into electricity would make all of our current systems more efficient, from stoves to cars to solar panels to the human body,” Robert said.
In addition, Robert also had a paper accepted at the March meeting of the American Physical Society. The paper examined the use of picosecond lasers in the micro-processing of hybrid field-effect transistor arrays.
According to Robert, the use of picosecond lasers resulted from the need for an alternative dry method for patterning arrays of transistor devices in order to maximize device performance, minimize power losses, and improve manufacturing time and cost.
“Most organic semiconductor materials, as well as solution-deposited inorganic materials, are either too sensitive or too resistant to chemicals used in convention photolithography.”