Selva

Prof. Selva leads the Selva Research Group at the University of Houston and serves as the director of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI), a university-wide initiative focused on scaling lab-based innovations into industrial manufacturing. The group's primary laboratory is located in Building 15 at the UH Energy Research Park, housing extensive facilities for superconductor wire manufacturing, roll-to-roll semiconductor processing, metal additive manufacturing, and advanced metrology.

The research interests of Prof. Selva’s group span advanced manufacturing technologies, including pilot-scale superconductor wire production using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), fabrication of high-mobility thin-film transistors, and development of low-cost, high-efficiency III-V solar cells on flexible substrates. The group has pioneered unique tools such as the world’s first roll-to-roll compound semiconductor MOCVD system and in-field critical current measurement systems for long superconducting tapes. Research also extends into flexible electronics, polymers, batteries, automation, and directed energy deposition of multi-material metallic components.

The group has successfully transitioned laboratory innovations to manufacturing scale, exemplified by a DOE-funded project to scale up Advanced MOCVD technology and a $1M SBIR-funded startup, AMPeers, co-founded by Prof. Selva. The Semiconductor Device Fabrication Laboratory, a 13,000 sq.ft. facility with a Class 10,000 cleanroom, supports full-cycle semiconductor processing, including safe handling of pyrophoric gases like arsine and phosphine. The team has designed and built several key systems in-house, demonstrating strong engineering and translational research capabilities.

Notable facilities include a pilot-scale MOCVD tool with real-time XRD and vision-based defect detection, reel-to-reel electropolishing and electroplating systems, magnetron sputtering tools, and advanced metrology systems such as Scanning Hall Probe Microscopy (SHPM) and Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) for superconducting characterization. Collaborations with Los Alamos National Laboratory and industrial partners further enhance the group’s impact.