PI: Dr. Theodosia Gougousi
Professor
Ph.D. in Physics, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. in Physics, University of Pittsburgh
B.S. in Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Awards
February 2009: NSF CAREER Award, Division of Materials Research
“CAREER: Deposition and Interface Properties of Metal Oxide Films on GaAs”
1994–1995 Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellow, University of Pittsburgh
Graduate students:
Dr. Nina Chowdhary
Ph.D. 2024
January 2020-December 2024
Project: Investigations of the optical properties of nitrogen-seeded ALD metal oxides.
Next position: Physics Patent Examiner, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Dr. Jaron Kropp
Ph.D. 2020
May 2015-May 2020
Project: Investigations of Two-Dimensional Materials for Next-Generation Electronic Devices.
Next position: Principal Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman.
Dr. Alex Henegar
Ph.D. 2015
May 2011-December 2015
Project: Surface Chemistry and Interface Evolution During the Atomic Layer Deposition of High-k Metal Oxides on InAs(100) and GaAs(100) Surfaces.
Next position: Enovational.
Dr. Liwang Ye
Ph.D. 2014
May 2010-December 2014
Project: Surface Reactions During the Atomic Layer Deposition of High-k dielectrics on III-V Semiconductor Surfaces.
Next position: Amperex Technology Limited (ATL).
John Lacis
M.S. 2009
May 2008-December 2009
Project: Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO2 films on Si and GaAs.
Next position: Schafer Corporation, Washington DC.
Dr. Justin Hackley
Ph.D. 2008
September 2004-August 2008
Project: Nucleation and interface properties of ALD HfO2 films.
Next position: Postdoc, Molecular Epitaxy group, Laboratory for Physics Sciences, College Park, MD.
Daniel Link
M.S. 2007
September 2006-December 2007
Project: Selective Deposition of Metal-Oxides on Silicon Using Self-Assembled Monolayer Resists.
Next position: Associate engineer at Orbital Sciences Corporation, Greenbelt MD.
Postdocs
Dr. Zhiying Chen
November 2005-December 2006
Project: Formation of metal oxide thin films in supercritical carbon dioxide
Next position: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Houston.
Undergraduate Students
Jacob Penn
October 2024–present
Project: Phase evolution in ALD TiO2 films
Next position:
Anthony Miller
September 2023–May 2025
Project: Characterization of the growth of ALD metal oxide films on MoS2 surfaces.
Next position: Graduate Student, University of West Virginia
Taylor Onelli
September 2022–May 2024
Project: Characterization of Quantum Dots using Infrared Spectroscopy.
Next position: Instrument Technician, AirPhoton
Dr. Phillip Dang
September 2014–May 2015
Project: Diffusion of native oxides during the atomic layer deposition of TiO2 films on GaAs(100) surfaces.
Next position: Graduate student at Cornell University
Andy Cook
September 2014–May 2015
Project: Diffusion of native oxides during the atomic layer deposition of TiO2 films on GaAs(100) surfaces.
Next position: Staff, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Dr. Nathan Smith
September 2013–May 2014
Project: Design and assembly of a temperature controller for supercritical fluid deposition.
Next position: Graduate student, Penn State University
Dan Litwak
September 2012–May 2013
Project: Optical characterization of TiO2 and Ta2O5 films
Next position: Graduate student, Ohio State University
Simba Marufu
June–July 2011
Project: Si and GaAs Surface Modification Using Self-Assembled Monolayers.
Next position: Undergraduate student and McNair scholar at UMBC
Zeeshan Muhhamad
June 2010–August 2010
Project: ALD of HfO2 on track etched membranes.
Next position: Noyce teacher scholar at UMBC
Dr. Brian Grooman
June 2005–July 2006
Project 1: Formation of thin Pd metal films in supercritical carbon dioxide.
Project 2: Physical vapor deposition of thin metal oxide films
Next position: Graduate student, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Peter Zhigang Pan
February 2007–June 2007
Project: Formation of opal structures using polystyrene nanoparticles.
Next position: Graduate student, University of Maryland, College Park