Robert W. Collins

University of Toledo

PRESENT POSITION

Professor of Physics and NEG Chair in Silicate and Materials Science

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Mail Stop 111, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606

Phone: (419) 530-2195; FAX; (419) 530-2723; E-mail: rcollins@physics.utoledo.edu

Education

1977:  B. A.            Clark University, Worcester MA; Physics and Mathematics

1979:  M. S.            Harvard University, Cambridge MA; Applied Physics 

1982:  Ph. D.          Harvard University, Cambridge MA; Applied Physics

Professional experience

2004 - Present       Professor of Physics and NEG Chair in Silicate and Materials Science, University of Toledo

2004 - Present       Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

1992 - 2004             Professor of Physics and Materials Research, The Pennsylvania State University

1988 - 1992             Associate Professor of Physics and Materials Research, The Pennsylvania State University

1982 - 1988             Senior Research Physicist, BP America/Standard Oil Co. (Ohio)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS AND ACTIVITIES

1989-1995               National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award

1994                        Lead organizer for "Microcrystalline and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors",

                                      Symposium F of the 1994 Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society.

1996                        Lead organizer for "Advances in Microcrystalline and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors", 

                                      Symposium F of the 1996 Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society

1997                        Co-organizer for the 2nd International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry; 

                                      Lead editor of the conference proceedings "Spectroscopic Ellipsometry -- 1997"

1999-2001               Organizer or co-organizer for "Amorphous and Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films",

                                      A sequence of three Symposia A of the Spring Meetings of the Materials Research Society

2005                        Co-organizer for "Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Science and Technology",

                                      Symposium A of the Spring Meeting of the Materials Research Society;

                                      Lead editor of: "Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Science and Technology -- 2005"

2005-2006               Chair of Area 5: "Amorphous, Nano/microcrystalline, and Thin Silicon Materials and Devices".

                                      of the "4th World Conference on Photovoltaics" held May 2006, Waikoloa, Hawaii

2005-2007               Co-organizer of the "22^nd International Conference on Amorphous and Nanocrystalline

                                      Semiconductors" to be held in August 2007, Breckenridge, Colorado.

Research Interests

Thin film materials physics: amorphous, nanocrystalline, and microcrystalline semiconductors; III-V and II-VI crystalline and polycrystalline semiconductors; dielectrics;  amorphous carbon and diamond; metals, transparent conducting oxide, conducting polymer, and electrochromic thin films.  Surface and thin film optical physics:  optical and electronic analysis of semiconductors and devices; optical properties of thin films; and thin film nucleation and microstructural evolution.  Optical instrumentation:  optical instrumentation design for ellipsometry, and Stokes vector and Mueller matrix spectroscopies; real time spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of materials and device preparation and processing.  Thin film coatings and devices: photovoltaics, hard coatings, and electrochromic structures.

Selected Publications (from a total of more than 320)

1.     R.W. Collins, P.C. Taylor, R. Biswas, R. Carius, and M. Kondo (eds.) Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Silicon Science and Technology - 2005, Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, (Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA, 2005) vol. 862.

2.     R.W. Collins and A.S. Ferlauto, "Optical Physics of Materials", in: Handbook of Ellipsometry, edited by H.G. Tompkins and E.A. Irene, (William Andrew, Norwich, NY, 2005) pp. 93-236.

3.     R.W. Collins, "Ellipsometry" in:  The Optics Encyclopedia, edited by Th.G. Brown, K. Creath, H. Kogelnik, M.A. Kriss, J. Schmit, and M.J. Weber, (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2004) pp. 609-670.

4.     R.W. Collins, A.S. Ferlauto, G.M. Ferreira, C. Chen, J. Koh, R.J. Koval, Y. Lee, J.M. Pearce, and C.R. Wronski, "Evolution of microstructure and phase in amorphous, protocrystalline, and microcrystalline silicon studied by real time spectroscopic ellipsometry",  Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 78, 143 (2003).

5.     C. Chen, I. An, and R.W. Collins, "Multichannel Mueller matrix ellipsometry for ... real-time measurement of bulk isotropic and surface anisotropic complex dielectric functions of semiconductors", Physical Review Letters 90, 217402 (2003).

6.     R.W. Collins and A.S. Ferlauto, "Advances in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon films at low temperatures", Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science 6, 425 (2002).

7.     A.S. Ferlauto, G.M. Ferreira, J.M. Pearce, C.R. Wronski, R.W. Collins, X.M. Deng, and G. Ganguly, "Analytical model for the optical functions of amorphous semiconductors from the near-infrared to ultraviolet:  applications in thin film photovoltaics", Journal of Applied Physics 92, 2424 (2002).

RECENT AND ONGOING RESEARCH PROPOSALS AND CONTRACTS

1)  Project Title:    Real Time Optics for Thin Film Materials Research (R.W. Collins, PI)

Funding Source:   NSF - DMR - Condensed Matter Physics;  Award Period:  03/15/02 - 02/28/06

2)  Project Title:    Sputtered II-VI Alloy Materials for Tandem Photovoltaic Cells (A.D. Compaan, PI)

Funding  Source:  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL);  Award Period:  10/01/03 - 09/30/06

3)  Project Title:    Critical Research for PEC Hydrogen (X. Deng, PI)

Funding Source:  Midwest Optoelectronics / Department of Energy;  Award Period:  10/01/04 - 09/30/07

4)  Project Title:    Flexible and Light-weight Thin Film Solar Cells Based on a-Si and CdTe

                                (X. Deng and A.D. Compaan, co-PI's)

Funding Source:  United States Air Force  -- Kirtland AFB;  Award Period:  06/01/04 - 05/31/05

5)  Project Title:  Quantum Dot Solar Cells (R.W. Collins, PI)

Funding Source:  National Space and Aeronautical Agency;  Total Award Period Covered:  01/01/05 - 12/31/05

6)  Project Title:  Fabrication & Characterization of Advanced Triple-Jct. a-Si Solar Cells  (X. Deng, PI)

Funding Source:   National Renewable Energy Laboratory;  Award Period:  12/01/04 - 11/30/07

7)  Project Title:  Fabrication and Physics of CdTe Photovoltaics (A.D. Compaan, PI)

Funding Source:   National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL);  Award Period:  10/01/04 - 09/30/07

8)  Project Title:  Thin Film Microbolometers (R.W. Collins, UT PI; M.W. Horn, Penn State PI)

Funding Source:  MURI / Army Research Office;  Award Period:  06/01/06 - 5/31/11

9)  Project Title:  Center for Photovoltaic Electricity and Hydrogen – Enhanced Activities (A.D. Compaan, PI)

Funding Source:  Ohio Department of Development;  Total Award Period Covered:  01/01/05 - 12/31/06

(10) Project Title: Nanostructured Protective Coatings  (R.W. Collins, PI)

Funding Source:   North Dakota State University / United States Air Force;  Award Period:  07/01/03 - 06/30/05

ONGOING LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS:

Midwest Optoelectronics, Toledo, OH:  Real time optical characterization of electrode processes

Innovative Thin Films, Toledo, OH:   Optical analysis of self-cleaning coatings

Pilkington NA, Inc., Toledo, OH:  Optical analysis of transparent conducting oxide films

First Solar, Perrysburg, OH:  In-line optical analysis of solar cell materials and devices

NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH:  Fabrication and characterization of novel solar cell structures

Ohio State University, Columbus, OH:  Joint proposals, optical analysis of surfaces and films

Ohio University, Athens, OH:  Joint proposals, and technical collaboration on microbolometers

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA:  Joint proposals, and technical collaborations; personnel exch.

Uni-Solar, Auburn Hills, MI:  Optical analysis of solar cell materials and devices

Rose-Hulman Institute, Terre Haute, IN:  Education in optics; personnel exchanges

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO:  Real time optical instrumentation

Institut für Photovoltaik, Jülich, Germany:  Personnel, equipment exchanges

Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary:  Real time optical instrumentation; personnel exchange

Indian Insitute of Technology, Kanpur, India:  External thesis committee member

National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan:  Real time optical instrum.

Eindhoven Institute of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands:  Real time optical instrumentation; personnel exch.

Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden:  External thesis committee member; real time optical instrumentation

Neuchâtel University, Neuchâtel, Switzerland:  External thesis committee member

RECENT Ph.D. GRADUATES

Chi Chen, Ph.D., May 2004, Materials Science, The Pennsylvania State University

Joshua Pearce, Ph.D., May 2004, Material Science, The Pennsylvania State University

Gelio Ferreira, Ph.D., May 2004, Materials Science, The Pennsylvania State University

From a list of 17 Ph.D.'s and 3 M.S. awarded from 1988 through 2004 at The Pennsylvania State University

Gelio Ferreira, Ph.D., May 2004, Materials Science, The Pennsylvania State University

From a list of 17 Ph.D.'s and 3 M.S. awarded from 1988 through 2004 at The Pennsylvania State University