معرفی
Zhang Yu is a Lecturer at Shenzhen University of Technology, School of New Materials and New Energy, where she joined in October 2023. Her academic journey spans institutions across China and Australia, with a strong focus on photovoltaic engineering and solar cell technology.
Dr. Zhang received her educational training through an international pathway. She earned bachelor's degrees from both Central South University and Monash University through a joint program (2011-2016), followed by a Master's degree in Photovoltaic Engineering from the University of New South Wales (2016-2017), and ultimately a PhD in Photovoltaic Engineering from the University of New South Wales under Professor Bram Hoex (2018-2022).
Her research expertise centers on advanced solar cell technologies, particularly black silicon solar cells. Dr. Zhang investigates the preparation and optimization of black silicon solar cells, optical losses and material defects within these structures, optical simulation of silicon solar cells, and failure analysis of both silicon and tandem solar cells. Her work bridges fundamental materials science with practical solar cell engineering.
Analysis of Dr. Zhang's publication record reveals a strong focus on characterization techniques for advanced solar cell materials, particularly using plasma FIB-SEM tomography for black silicon analysis. Her research spans multiple photovoltaic technologies including silicon, organic, and tandem solar cells, with consistent emphasis on materials characterization, optical properties, and device optimization. The publications demonstrate increasing leadership in the field, with first-author contributions on advanced characterization techniques and collaborative work across multiple solar cell technologies.
- Australia's top 40 young researchers (2020), awarded by Early Achievers Leaderboard, The Australian Research Special Issue
- Best Poster award entitled "Black Silicon Characterization with Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques" at Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference 2019
Dr. Zhang has participated in significant research projects including "Integrating industrial black silicon with high efficiency multicrystalline solar cells" and "Development and commercialization of high efficiency silicon solar cell technology," both funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Her work as an Assistant Research Fellow (Part-time) at the University of New South Wales from 2019-2023 complemented her doctoral research and contributed to these major industry collaborations.
Her research utilizes advanced characterization facilities at the University of New South Wales and focuses on bridging the gap between academic research and industrial solar cell manufacturing through projects supported by Australian government agencies.
