Prof. Shu Kong SO

Professor Shu K SO obtained his bachelor degree (B.A., summa cum laude) from Hamilton College, New York and PhD in Physics from Cornell University. In Cornell, he did research on surface physics and chemistry of small molecules on metal and semiconductor surfaces. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry Department of the University of Toronto where he used scanning tunneling microscope to study surface photochemistry. In 1992, he joined the Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University. He is now the Acting Head and a Professor of Physics. His major research interest is in the physics and the chemistry of thin film materials including heat transfer, charge transport, and defect study of organic films, fabrication of organic solar cells and thin film transistors, surface and optical spectroscopies of materials, and pulsed laser deposition. He has made notable contributions to the carrier transport study of organic and polymeric thin films for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) applications, and the study of defects in organic semiconductors and perovskite materials. His recent interests are in the niche applications of OPV cells in, e.g., for indoor light harvesting.

Project Highlights

1. Properties of new photonic materials for organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells

 

The electronic and thermal properties two electron acceptors Y3 and Y18, for high performance OPV cells were investigated. They have similar structures but markedly different power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of ∼13 and 16%. A molecular model was proposed in which the extra alkyl chains in Y18 help to favor a more planar molecular conformation, leading to improved thermal, electrical, and electronic properties. This work provides new ideas for the design of organic semiconductors for use in high-performance OPV cells.

2. Indoor photovoltaic cells – materials and device investigation

 

This work offers fresh insights for indoor photovoltaic (IPV) devices. Previously, few studies paid attention to IPV due to the low energy intensities for indoor light illumination. We fabricated IPV cells with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20% using a ternary strategy. Such devices are potentially useful to drive low-power internet-of things (IoT) objects