Ashfaque is currently pursuing his Doctoral research in Sheffield Hallam University, UK on Thin-film solar cell technology. He has previous post-graduate research experience in Thin-film solar cell technology at Emerging Technology Research Centre (EMTERC), DMU, Leicester. He has been working in Academia for the last 6 years in different positions such as a researcher, an Instrumentation Engineer and a member of faculty. He is keen to delve into further research involving Solar cell performance optimization, as well as affordable instrumentation development for nano-electronics research. He is also keen in multidisciplinary research related to energy policy and sustainability.
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PhD - Material science and solid-state devices, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK, 2017-2021.
MSc (Research) – Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, 2011-2014.
BEng (Hons) – Electronic Engineering, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, 2010-2011.
HND – Electrical/Electronic Engineering (Communication), EDEXCEL, UK, 2008-2010.
Semiconductor Physics, Nanoelectronics, Instrumentation, Thin-film Photovoltaic, Mechatronic, Energy policy.
Current projects:
- Next generation graded band-gap thin-film solar cell, Funded by University alliance (UA) UK.
- Off the shelf instrumentation development for nano-research, Funded by KB Bio-med Bangladesh Inc.
- Development of VDP four-probe resistivity measurement system using low-cost local materials.
- Development of Visible light Sprectrophotometer for basic student research.
Completed projects:
- Automation Rulez!! for Control System design and Implementation”, Enabled automation for a wastewater treatment plant consisting of several sensor and actuators, Placement Project: as Instrumentation Engineer, Water Software Systems (WSS) Laboratory, De Montfort University, Leicester, 2013-2014.
- Design and Development of Carrier Mobility measurement system for performance optimisation of PV Solar Cell”, The project aimed to design an arrangement to measure carrier mobility for low mobility Solar cell materials. This work has constructed a Hall Mobility measurement Instrument from scratch taking as many technical, theoretical and experimental references as possible into account. MSc Research Project: as MSc Student, Emerging Technologies Research Centre (EMTERC), De Montfort University, Leicester, 2012-2014.
- Simulation and Development of an affordable switching technique for Van Der Pauw resistivity measurement arrangement”, Aimed to design and construct a low-cost switching technique for Four probe resistivity measurement, BSc Final Year project: as Project Supervisor, Department of ETE, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, 2015.
- Instrumentation development for UV-Vis spectrophotometer”, The project goal is to develop a UV-Vis spectrophotometer from scratch taking novel approaches wherever possible in designing steps, BSc Final Year project: as Project Supervisor, Department of ETE, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, 2017.
- Development of Carrier Mobility measurement system for performance optimization of PV Solar Cell.
- Automation Rulez!!' for Control Systems design and Implementation.
Web and Social Media infrastructure development for Centre for Social Action (CSA), DMU.
Work Experience:
Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), UK,Doctoral Fellow, MERI, October 2017-Present
- Characterisation, analysis, fabrication and evaluation of solid-state devices.
- Conducting laboratory demonstration to undergraduate engineering students.
- Co-supervising BEng and MSc major projects.
- Attending relevant conferences, academic gatherings and symposiums.
University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB),Lecturer, Department of ETE, January 2015- (on-leave)
- Conducting taught and laboratory-based programs offered by the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering (ETE).
- Supervising UG students in final project.
- Arranging and conducting seminars on different academic and technical issues.
- Laboratory management of the Department of ETE.
- Arranging industrial study tours for students.
- Conducting research on low-cost basic measurement instruments.
Water Software Systems (WSS) Laboratory,Electronics/Instrumentation Engineer, July 2013- June 2014
- Testing and adjustments of selected interfaces between the computer control system and the instrumentation panel and other sensors/actuators of a Wastewater plant.
- Designing, implementation and testing of electronic circuits to enable automatic control of the plant using Simulink and dSpace Control Desk environment.
- Mentoring final year students in BEng individual projects.
- Preparing video tutorial for potential learners of automation.
Centre for Social Action (CSA), DMU,Communication Assistant (Frontrunner placement), Feb – June' 2013
- Preparing brief strategic plan for the Centre's website and developing it.
- Preparing the design plan for the centre's website.
- Introducing the relative social media planning for the centre and implementing them.
- Attending regular management meetings and coping with the team requirements.
Awards:
- Best poster award, MERI-BMRC poster competition ‘18.
- Received fully funded PhD fellowship at SHU, from Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA), UK (2017-20).
- Received Scholarship for first and second year in HND level, based on excellent academic record.
- Received VC scholarship based on merit for MSc, DMU, UK (2011-13).
Memberships:
- Member of Institute for Engineering and Technology (MIET)
- Member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (MIEEE)
Thesis:
- Alam A. (2014), “Development of Carrier Mobility measurement system for performance optimisation of PV Solar Cell”, MSc Research Project, Emerging Technologies Research Centre (EMTERC), De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
Technical Skills:
- Programming:C, C++, Ladder logic, Verilog VHDL, basics on Visual basic, html, matlabsimulink.
- CAD:skilful in eagle, eagle3d, TCAD.
- Operating systems: windows, mac os x, linux.
- MS Office suite:skilful in word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, project.
- Graphical designing:skilful in adobe illustrator, photoshop, inkscape and basic on adobe premiere.
- Other:Agilent vee, Simulink, dSpace control desk, Originlab, AWR microwave office.
Funding & Achievements:
- Organising member of International Conference on Energy and Sustainable Futures (ICESF) 2019
- Regular reviewer at Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (JMSE)
- Best poster, MERI-BMRC poster competition 2018.
- Received PhD fellowship at SHU, with Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA), UK.
- Received VC scholarship based on merit for MSc.
Training, Workshops and Memberships:
- Sheffield Hallam University Training: HE Teaching Skills for Doctoral Students
- ULAB Training and Development: Faculty professional development workshop 2015 by Prof. G. B. Ramirez, UMass Boston
- Application pending for Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
- Former Member of IET and IEEE.
STUDENT SUPERVISION & JOURNAL REVIEW:
- Co-Supervised 02 BEng, 02 MSc and 02 ERASMUS projects at SHU.
- Supervised 05 Undergrad projects at ULAB.
- Co-supervised 02 Undergrad (BEng) projects at DMU.
- Regular reviewer for the Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics
OTHER RELEVANT PROJECTS:
- “Instrumentation development for UV-Vis spectrophotometer”, The project goal was to develop an affordable UV-Vis spectrophotometer from scratch taking possible novel approaches in designing steps, BSc Final Year project: as Project Supervisor, Department of ETE, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, 2017
- “Simulation and Development of an affordable switching technique for Van Der Pauw resistivity measurement arrangement”, Aimed to design and construct a low- cost switching technique for Four probe resistivity measurement, BSc Final Year project: as Project Supervisor, Department of ETE, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, 2015.
- “Automation Rulez!! for Control System design and Implementation”, Enabled automation for a wastewater treatment plant consisting of several sensors and actuators, Placement Project: as Instrumentation Engineer, Water Software Systems (WSS) Laboratory, De Montfort University, Leicester, 2013-2014
- “Design and Development of Carrier Mobility measurement system for performance optimisation of PV Solar Cell”, The project aimed to design an arrangement to measure carrier mobility for low mobility Solar cell materials. This work has constructed a Hall Mobility measurement Instrument from scratch taking as many technical, theoretical and experimental references as possible into account. MSc Research Project: as MSc Student, Emerging Technologies Research Centre (EMTERC), De Montfort University, Leicester, 2012-2014
A. E. Alam, O. I. Olusola, D. A. Loch, K. Shukla, W. M. Cranton, I. M. Dharmadasa, “Electrodeposited ternary compounds for novel PV application: Optimisation of electrodeposited CdMnTe thin-films as p-type window layer”, Nature Scientific Reports, December 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78066-y
I. M. Dharmadasa, A. E. Alam, A. A. Ojo and O. K. Echendu, “Scientific complications and controversies noted in the field of CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells and the way forward for further development”, November 2019, JMSE, DOI: 0.1007/s10854-019- 02422-6
I. M. Dharmadasa, Y. Rahaq, and A. E. Alam, “Perovskite solar cells: short lifetime and hysteresis behaviour of current–voltage characteristics”, JMSE, July 2019, DOI: 10.1007/s10854-019-01759-2
A. E. Alam, W. M. Cranton, and I. M. Dharmadasa, ‘’Electrodeposition of CdS thin-films grown from Cadmium acetate and Ammonium thiosulfate precursor”, JMSE, January 2019, DOI: 10.1007/s10854-019-00750-1
A. E. Alam, A. A. Ojo, J. B. Jasinski and I. M. Dharmadasa, “Magnesium incorporation in n-CdTe to produce wide bandgap p-type CdTe:Mg window layers”, December 2018, ChemEngineering, DOI: 10.3390/chemengineering2040059
A. E. Alam, R. Islam, and I. J. Faria, “Development and validation of a low-cost visible light Spectrophotometer,” IEEE Xplore, Sept’ 2017, DOI: 10.1109/ICAEE.2017.8255437
আশফাকআনুপ, বৈশ্বিকউদ্ভাবনসূচকওকিছুব্যক্তিককচকচানি..., মতামত,https://opinion.bdnews24.com/bangla/archives/54147
A. E. Alam, A. A. Ojo, J. B. Jasinski and I. M. Dharmadasa, “Development of next- generation electrodeposited solar cells with p -type window layer”, ICESF 2019
A. E. Alam, A. A. Ojo and I. M. Dharmadasa, “Development of next-generation electrodeposited solar cells with p -type window layer”, PVSAT-15, DOI:
10.13140/RG.2.2.17820.74881
A. E. Alam, A. A. Ojo and I. M. Dharmadasa, “Magnesium incorporation in n-CdTe to produce wide bandgap p-type CdTe:Mg window layers”, UK Semiconductor 2018
P. Biswas and A. E. Alam, “Development of Data Acquisition System for Low-Cost Spectrophotometer”, DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34597.96481
A. E. Alam, R. Islam, and I. J. Faria, “Development and validation of a low-cost visible light Spectrophotometer,” 4th International Conference on Advances in Electrical Engineering (ICAEE) 2017