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Dr Yan Zhu

Dr Yan Zhu

Lecturer
Engineering
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

I obtained my bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Passionate about making the world a better place, I decided to pursue a master's degree in École Polytechnique of France on renewable energy science and technology, with my master thesis completed in Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore. Afterwards, I obtained a PhD degree from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW. I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the ACDC research team of UNSW. My research has been focusing on the development of novel characterisation techniques to improve the quality of photovoltaic materials and devices.

 

Employment:

2023 – Now: Research Fellow (UNSW)

2020 – 2022: ACAP Research Fellow (UNSW)

Education:

2016 – 2019: Doctor of Philosophy in Photovoltaic Engineering (UNSW)

2013 – 2015: Diplôme d'Ingénieur (ENSTA Paristech, France)

2013 – 2015: Master (École Polytechnique, France)

2009 – 2013: Bachelor (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China)
E-mail
yan.zhu@unsw.edu.au
  • Book Chapters | 2024
    Hameiri Z; Zhu Y, 2024, 'Temperature-Dependent Lifetime and Photoluminescence Measurements', in Photovoltaic Solar Energy: From Fundamentals to Applications, Volume 2, pp. 273 - 289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119578826.ch17
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Hameiri Z; Zhu Y, 2024, 'Temperature‐Dependent Lifetime and Photoluminescence Measurements', in , Wiley, pp. 271 - 289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119578826.ch17
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Nguyen K; Fischer O; Messmer C; Zhu Y; Nguyen DT; Bui AD; Hameiri Z; Schindler F; Schubert MC; Shen H; Weber K; Catchpole K; Macdonald D; Nguyen HT, 2024, 'The role of luminescent coupling in monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells', Small, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202403461
    Journal articles | 2024
    Wang G; Duan W; Lian Q; Mahmud MA; Leung TL; Liao C; Bing J; Bailey C; Yi J; Tao R; Yang J; Cui X; Nie S; Zhu Y; Lambertz A; Jankovec M; Topič M; McCamey DR; Bremner S; Hameiri Z; Ding K; Mckenzie D; Zheng J; Ho-Baillie A, 2024, 'Reducing voltage loss via dipole tuning for electron-transport in efficient and stable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells', Advanced Energy Materials, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202401029
    Journal articles | 2024
    Zhu Y; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2024, 'A contactless method of emitter sheet resistance measurement for silicon wafers', Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 278, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113209
    Journal articles | 2023
    Zheng J; Duan W; Guo Y; Zhao ZC; Yi H; Ma FJ; Granados Caro L; Yi C; Bing J; Tang S; Qu J; Fong KC; Cui X; Zhu Y; Yang L; Lambertz A; Arafat Mahmud M; Chen H; Liao C; Wang G; Jankovec M; Xu C; Uddin A; Cairney JM; Bremner S; Huang S; Ding K; McKenzie DR; Ho-Baillie AWY, 2023, 'Efficient monolithic perovskite-Si tandem solar cells enabled by an ultra-thin indium tin oxide interlayer', Energy and Environmental Science, 16, pp. 1223 - 1233, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d2ee04007g
    Journal articles | 2022
    Nie S; Zhu Y; Kunz O; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2022, 'Advanced photoluminescence imaging using non-uniform excitation', Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 30, pp. 349 - 359, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pip.3488
    Journal articles | 2021
    Jafari S; Zhu Y; Rougieux F; De Guzman JAT; Markevich VP; Peaker AR; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'On the correlation between light-induced degradation and minority carrier traps in boron-doped Czochralski silicon', ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13, pp. 6140 - 6146, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c17549
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mahboubi Soufiani A; Zhu Y; Mussakhanuly N; Yun JS; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'Contactless series resistance imaging of perovskite solar cells via inhomogeneous illumination', Solar RRL, 5, pp. 2100655 - 2100655, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202100655
    Journal articles | 2021
    Siriwardhana M; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z; Macdonald D; Rougieux F, 2021, 'Photoconductance determination of carrier capture cross sections of slow traps in silicon through variable pulse filling', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 11, pp. 273 - 281, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3043835
    Journal articles | 2021
    Sun C; Zhu Y; Juhl M; Yang W; Rougieux F; Hameiri Z; Macdonald D, 2021, 'The role of charge and recombination-enhanced defect reaction effects in the dissociation of FeB pairs in p-type silicon under carrier injection', Physica Status Solidi - Rapid Research Letters, 15, pp. 2000520 - 2000520, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssr.202000520
    Journal articles | 2021
    Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'Review of injection dependent charge carrier lifetime spectroscopy', Progress in Energy, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2516-1083/abd488
    Journal articles | 2021
    Zhu Y; Juhl MK; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'Erratum to “Reassessments of minority carrier traps in silicon with photoconductance decay measurements”', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 11, pp. 241 - 242, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2020.3031381
    Journal articles | 2021
    Zhu Y; Rougieux F; Grant NE; De Guzman JAT; Murphy JD; Markevich VP; Coletti G; Peaker AR; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'Electrical characterization of thermally activated defects in n-type float-zone silicon', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 11, pp. 26 - 35, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2020.3031382
    Journal articles | 2021
    Zhu Y; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2021, 'A dynamic calibration method for injection-dependent charge carrier lifetime measurements', Small Methods, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202100440
    Journal articles | 2020
    Buratti Y; Le Gia QT; Dick J; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Extracting bulk defect parameters in silicon wafers using machine learning models', npj Computational Materials, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41524-020-00410-7
    Journal articles | 2020
    Chin RL; Pollard M; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Detailed analysis of radiative transitions from defects in n-type monocrystalline silicon using temperature- and light intensity-dependent spectral Photoluminescence', Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 208, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2019.110376
    Journal articles | 2020
    Zhu Y; Sun C; Niewelt T; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Investigation of two-level defects in injection dependent lifetime spectroscopy', Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 216, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110692
    Journal articles | 2019
    Heinz FD; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z; Juhl M; Trupke T; Schubert MC, 2019, 'Correction to: The Principle of Adaptive Excitation for Photoluminescence Imaging of Silicon: Theory (physica status solidi (RRL) - Rapid Research Letters, (2018), 12, 7, (1800137), 10.1002/pssr.201800137)', Physica Status Solidi - Rapid Research Letters, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssr.201900076
    Journal articles | 2019
    Zhu Y; Juhl MK; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2019, 'Reassessments of minority carrier traps in silicon with photoconductance decay measurements', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 9, pp. 652 - 652, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2019.2903584
    Journal articles | 2018
    Heinz FD; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z; Juhl MK; Trupke T; Schubert MC, 2018, 'The principle of adaptive excitation for photoluminescence imaging of silicon: Theory', Physica Status Solidi - Rapid Research Letters, 12, pp. 1800137 - 1800137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssr.201800137
    Journal articles | 2018
    Zhu Y; Heinz F; Juhl M; Schubert M; Tropke T; Hameiri Z, 2018, 'Photoluminescence imaging at uniform excess carrier density using adaptive nonuniform excitation', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 8, pp. 1787 - 1787, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2869541
    Journal articles | 2018
    Zhu Y; Juhl M; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2018, 'On the transient negative photoconductance in n-type Czochralski silicon', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 8, pp. 421 - 427, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2784679
    Journal articles | 2017
    Vargas C; Zhu Y; Coletti G; Chan C; Payne D; Jensen M; Hameiri Z; Vargas Castrillon C, 2017, 'Recombination parameters of lifetime-limiting carrier-induced defects in multicrystalline silicon for solar cells', Applied Physics Letters, 110, pp. 092106 - 092106, http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4977906
    Journal articles | 2017
    Zhu Y; Juhl MK; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Photoluminescence imaging of silicon wafers and solar cells with spatially inhomogeneous illumination', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 7, pp. 1087 - 1087, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2690875
    Journal articles | 2017
    Zhu Y; Le Gia QT; Juhl MK; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Application of the Newton–Raphson method to lifetime spectroscopy for extraction of defect parameters', IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 7, pp. 1092 - 1092, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2695666
  • Conference Papers | 2024
    Zhu Y; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2024, 'Contactless quantitative imaging of series resistance of solar cells', Vienna, Austria, presented at 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria, 23 September 2024
    Conference Papers | 2024
    Zhu Y, 2024, 'Contactless quantitative imaging of series resistance of solar cells', Vienna, Austria, presented at 41st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria, 23 September 2024
    Conference Papers | 2023
    Zhu Y; Lee Chin R; Mussakhanuly N; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2023, 'Dynamic calibration of injection dependent carrier lifetime from time-resolved photoluminescence', in 2023 IEEE 50th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Puerto Rico, pp. 1 - 1, presented at 50th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, Puerto Rico, 12 June 2023 - 16 June 2023, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/pvsc48320.2023.10360053
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Nie S; Zhu Y; Kunz O; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2022, 'Photoluminescence imaging using non-uniform excitation: Recent progress', Milan, Italy, presented at 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Milan, Italy, 26 September 2022 - 30 September 2022
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Wang S; Dwivedi P; Buratti Y; Zhu Y; Lee Chin R; Hameiri Z, 2022, 'Extracting the parameters of two-energy-level defects in silicon wafers using machine learning', Newcastle, Australia, presented at Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 29 November 2022 - 01 December 2022
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Zhu Y; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2022, 'Contactless determination of emitter sheet resistance for diffused silicon wafers', in 2022 IEEE 49th Photovoltaics Specialists Conference (PVSC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Philadelphia, USA, pp. 0367 - 0367, presented at 49th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, Philadelphia, USA, 06 June 2022 - 10 June 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/pvsc48317.2022.9938748
    Preprints | 2021
    Soufiani AM; Zhu Y; Mussakhanuly N; Yun JS; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2021, Contactless Series Resistance Imaging of Perovskite Solar Cells via Inhomogeneous Illumination, , http://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2109.06971
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Jafari S; Zhu Y; Rougieux F; De Guzman JAT; Markevich VP; Peaker AR; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Boron-oxygen related light-induced degradation of Si solar cells: Transformation between minority carrier trapping and recombination active centers', in Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Virtual, pp. 0689 - 0692, presented at 47th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, Virtual, 15 June 2020 - 21 August 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300371
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Moore J; Nie S; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Improving photoluminescence imaging using non-uniform illumination', UNSW ACDC Research Group, On-line, presented at Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference, On-line, 30 November 2020, http://apvi.org.au/solar-research-conference/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Anh-Huy-Tuan-Le-Temperature-dependent-performance-of-polysilicon-passivating-contacts-and-their-solar-cells.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2020
    Nie S; Zhu Y; Kunz O; Kampwerth H; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2020, 'Temperature-dependent photoluminescence imaging using non-uniform excitation', in Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Virtual, pp. 0789 - 0792, presented at 47th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, Virtual, 15 June 2020 - 21 August 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9301027
    Conference Papers | 2020
    2020, 'Boron-oxygen-related traps in Czochralski grown silicon'
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Buratti Y; Dick J; Le Gia Q; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2019, 'Inversion of the Shockley-Read-Hall equation using random forests', Canberra, presented at Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference, Canberra, 03 December 2019
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Siu V; Nie S; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z, 2019, 'An incomplete ionization model for indium in silicon', Canberra, presented at Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference, Canberra, 03 December 2019
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Zhu Y; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2019, 'Injection dependent lifetime spectroscopy for two level defects in silicon', Chicago, USA, presented at 46th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Chicago, USA, 16 June 2019 - 21 July 2019
    Conference Papers | 2019
    Zhu Y; Rougieux F; Grant N; Mullins J; Ann De Guzman J; Murphy J; Markevich V; Coletti G; Peaker A; Hameiri Z, 2019, 'New insights into the thermally activated defects in n-type float-zone silicon', Leuven, presented at 9th International Conference on Silicon Photovoltaics, Leuven, 08 April 2019 - 10 April 2019
    Conference Papers | 2019
    2019, 'Trapping in multi-crystalline silicon wafers: Impact of laser treatment and firing'
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Bernardini S; Nie S; Zhu Y; Hameiri Z; Bertoni M, 2018, 'Surface photovoltage spectroscopy as a characterization technique for surface passivation quality assessmen', in Surface photovoltage spectroscopy as a characterization technique for surface passivation quality assessmen, 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, presented at 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, 10 June 2018 - 15 June 2018
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Bernardini S; Zhu Y; Nie S; Hameiri Z; Bertoni M, 2018, 'Analysis of SiNx SRV injection- and temperature-dependence and its degradation via TIDLS measurements', in Analysis of SiNx SRV injection- and temperature-dependence and its degradation via TIDLS measurements, 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, presented at 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, 10 June 2018 - 15 June 2018
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Jensen M; Laine HS; Zhu Y; Vargas C; Liu Z; Li JB; Hameiri Z; Buonassisi T, 2018, 'Investigating the different degradation behavior of multicrystalline silicon PERC and Al-BSF solar cells', Hawaii, presented at 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, 10 June 2018 - 15 June 2018
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Lee Chin R; Zhu Y; Coletti G; Binetti S; Pollard M; Hameiri Z, 2018, 'Insights into striations in n-type Czochralski wafers investigated via low-temperature hyperspectral and temperature-dependent spectral photoluminescence', Japan, presented at 10th International Workshop on Crystalline Silicon for Solar Cells, Japan, 08 April 2018 - 11 April 2018
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Lee Chin RA; Zhu Y; Coletti G; Binetti S; Pollard M; Hameiri Z, 2018, 'Insights into bulk defect in n-type monocrystalline silicon via temperature-dependent micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy', Hawaii, presented at 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, 11 June 2018 - 15 June 2018
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Rougieux FE; Sun C; Zhu Y; MacDonald DH, 2018, 'Accurate defect recombination parameters: What are the limitations of current analyses?', in 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018 - A Joint Conference of 45th IEEE PVSC, 28th PVSEC and 34th EU PVSEC, pp. 2520 - 2523, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547585
    Conference Papers | 2018
    Zhu Y; Juhl MK; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2018, 'Reassessment of minority carrier traps in silicon during “quasi-steady-state” photoconductance measurements', in 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC 2018 - A Joint Conference of 45th IEEE PVSC, 28th PVSEC and 34th EU PVSEC, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Hawaii, USA, pp. 77 - 80, presented at 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, 10 June 2018 - 15 June 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547873
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Jensen M; Zhu Y; Looney E; Morishige A; Castrillon C; Hameiri Z; Buonassisi T, 2017, 'Assessing the defect responsible for LeTID: Temperature- and injection-dependent lifetime spectroscopy', in 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Washington D.C, pp. 3290 - 3294, presented at 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Washington D.C, 11 June 2017 - 16 June 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2017.8366132
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Jensen M; Zhu Y; Nakajima K; Juhl MK; Youssef E; Looney EE; Hameiri Z; Sander R; Buonassisi T, 2017, 'Defect engineering for material-quality improvements in low-capex crystalline silicon—an application of temperature- and injection-dependent lifetime spectroscopy', Boston, presented at MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, 26 November 2017 - 01 December 2017
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Nie S; Zhu Y; Bernardini S; Bertoni M; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Advanced temperature charctrisation of silicon nitride surface passivation layer', Shiga, Japan, presented at 27th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, Shiga, Japan, 12 November 2017 - 17 November 2017
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Zhu Y; Juhl M; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Impact of transient trapping on steady state photoconductance lifetime measurements', Shiga, Japan, presented at 27th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, Shiga, Japan, 11 November 2017 - 17 November 2017
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Zhu Y; Juhl M; Heinz F; Schubert M; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Photoluminescence imaging at uniform excess carrier density using non uniform illumination', in IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Shiga, Japan, pp. 1787 - 1792, presented at 27th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, Shiga, Japan, 11 November 2017 - 17 November 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2869541
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Zhu Y; Juhl MK; Trupke T; Hameiri Z, 2017, 'Applications of DMD-based inhomogeneous illumination photoluminescence imaging for silicon wafers and solar cells', in 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Washington D.C., pp. 66 - 69, presented at 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Washington D.C., 25 June 2017 - 30 June 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2017.8366047
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Zhu Y; Castrillon CV; Jensen MA; Juhl MK; Coletti G; Hameiri Z, 2016, 'Defect characterization via temperature and injection dependent lifetime spectroscopy', Tempe, Arizona, presented at 9th International Workshop on Crystalline Silicon for Solar Cells and 3rd Silicon Materials Workshop, Tempe, Arizona, 10 October 2016 - 12 October 2016, http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/unsworks_41897

  • Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses (UNSW)
  • Best Student Award at the 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
  • Steve Robinson Memorial Prize (UNSW)

 

  • Development of new characterisation methods for photovoltaic materials and devices
  • Investigation of defects in silicon and other semiconductor material