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George Wang
Thrust Leader and P.I. for "Nanowires: Synthesis and Properties of Radial Heterostructures."
Sandia National LaboratoriesSolid-State Lighting Science Energy Frontier Research Center
George Wang is a Principal Member of the Technical Staff in the Advanced Materials Sciences Department at Sandia National Laboratories. Dr. Wang received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, with Highest Honors, from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University in 1999 and 2002, respectively, where he was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship and the David Sen-Lin Lee Fellowship. His thesis work at Stanford focused on the functionalization of semiconductor surfaces using novel organic reactions under ultra-high vacuum.
At Sandia, Dr. Wang’s primary research efforts has focused on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of III-nitride nanowires grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In addition, he has led efforts at Sandia in the 3D growth of high quality GaN using novel nanostructuring and selective growth techniques. Dr. Wang has also investigated parasitic chemistry and Mg doping issues in AlGaInN MOCVD using a combination of in‑situ experimental techniques and density functional theory calculations. Currently, Dr. Wang is a Thrust Leader investigating energy conversion processes in low-dimensional structures in the recently awarded 5-year, $18M Solid State Lighting Science Energy Frontier Research Center at Sandia, funded by DOE Basic Energy Sciences.
Recently, Dr. Wang has been responsible for the design, purchase, and start-up of a custom, state-of-the-art $3.5M nanofabrication and characterization system, the Advanced Nanotechnology Tool (ANT). This world-class system, which came online in 2007 at Sandia’s new MESA facility, significantly bolsters Sandia’s nanoresearch capabilities.
Since 1999, Dr. Wang has authored or co-authored 34 journal publications, which have received over 600 citations, and 2 patents. His work has also received attention in Compound Semiconductor magazine, New Scientist magazine, The Guardian newspaper, Chemical and Engineering News magazine, and has been featured on the covers of Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology, and The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.
Education and Training
Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 2002
M. S. in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 1999
B. S. in Chemical Engineering, Highest Honors, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, 1997
Research and Professional Experience
Sandia National Laboratories, Member of the Technical Staff (9/2002 – present)
Stanford University, Graduate Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant (5/1998 – 9/2002)
Motorola, Austin, TX, Yield Engineer/Intern (Summer 1997)
Exxon Co. USA, New Orleans, LA, Reservoir Engineer (Summer 1996)
Selected Publications
“Spatial Distribution of Defect Luminescence in GaN Nanowires,” Q. M. Li, G. T. Wang, Nano Lett., 10, 1554 (2010).
“GaN nanowire surface state observed using deep level optical spectroscopy,” A. Armstrong, Q. Li, Y. Lin, A. A. Talin, G. T. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett., 96, (2010).
“Dislocation density reduction in GaN by dislocation filtering through a self-assembled monolayer of silica microspheres,” Q. Li, J. J. Figiel, G. T. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett., 94, (2009).
“Nanowire-templated lateral epitaxial growth of low-dislocation density nonpolar a-plane GaN on r-plane sapphire,” Q. Li, Y. Lin, J. R. Creighton, J. J. Figiel, G. T. Wang, Adv. Mat., 21, 2416 (2009). (cover article)
“Elastic moduli of faceted aluminum nitride nanotubes measured by contact resonance atomic force microscopy,” G. Stan, C. V. Ciobanu, T. P. Thayer, G. T. Wang, J. R. Creighton, K. P. Purushotham, L. A. Bendersky, R. F. Cook, Nanotechnology, 20, (2009). (cover article)
“Photoluminescence, Thermal Transport, and Breakdown in Joule-Heated GaN Nanowires,” T. Westover, R. Jones, J. Y. Huang, G. T. Wang, E. Lai, A. A. Talin, Nano Lett., 9, 257 (2009).
“Three-Dimensional Visualization of Surface Defects in Core-Shell Nanowires,” I. Arslan, A. A. Talin, G. T. Wang, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112, 11093 (2008).
“The Role of Collisions in the Aligned Growth of Vertical Nanowires,” Q. Li, G. T. Wang, J. Crys. Growth, 310, 3706 (2008).
“Improvement in Aligned GaN Nanowire Growth using Submonolayer Ni Catalyst Films,” Q. Li, G. T. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett., 93, 043119 (2008).
“Highly aligned, template-free growth and characterization of vertical GaN nanowires on sapphire by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition,” G. T. Wang, A. A. Talin, D. J. Werder, J. R. Creighton, E. Lai, R. J. Anderson, I. Arslan, Nanotechnology, 17, 5773 (2006).
“Complex formation between magnesocene (MgCp2) and NH3: Implications for p-type doping of group III nitrides and the Mg memory effect,” G. T. Wang, J. R. Creighton, J Phys Chem A, 108, 4873 (2004). (cover article)
Patents
Creighton, J.R. and G.T. Wang, “Method for improving Mg doping during group-III nitride MOCVD” U.S. Patent 7,449,404 (2008)
G.T. Wang, Q. Li, J.R. Creighton, “Nanowire-templated lateral epitaxial growth of non-polar group III Nitrides” U.S. Patent 7,670,933 B1 (2010)
Synergistic Activities
Thrust Leader, $18M DOE BES Energy Frontier Research Center for Solid State Lighting at Sandia National Laboratories (2009-2014).
Principal Investigator for the research project “The Physics of 1D and 2D Electron Gases in III-Nitride Heterostructure NWs” (funded by the Sandia’s LDRD program), 2006-2009.
Principal Investigator for the research project “Low Dislocation GaN via Defect-Filtering, Self-Assembled SiO2-Sphere Layers” (funded by the Sandia’s LDRD program), 2007-2009.
Co-investigatoron the projects: “Greater-Than 50% Efficient Photovoltaic Solar Cells”, 2009-2011, “Impact of Defects on the Electrical Transport, Optical Properties and Failure Mechanisms of GaN Nanowires”, 2007-2010, and “A Discovery Platform for Nanowire Electronics and Photonics,” 2005-2008 (previous three funded by the Sandia’s LDRD program), “Quantum Electronic Phenomena and Structures,” 2005-continuing, (funded by DOE BES),
Principal Investigator for the research project “Nanowire Templated Lateral Epitaxial Growth of Low Dislocation Density GaN” (funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), 2006-2008.