Dr. Timothy Coutts is currently a Research Fellow in the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research areas include the following:

Thin-film science. Involved in thin–film physics since 1964. Projects concerned with charge transfer in thin copper films (PhD), thin-film strain gauges, thin–film cermet materials, charge transfer in discontinuous thin–films, surface scattering in thin–metal films, characterization of the properties of high–performance transparent conducting oxides (TCO). Charge scattering characterization in TCOs using the 4–coefficient method, as well as optical modeling. Development of high quality TCOs using common, non–toxic elements. Closely involved in modeling and development of tandem thin–film cells.

Photovoltaics. Active involvement in photovoltaics since 1970. Experience the development of CdS/CuxS, ITO/InP, CdS/CdTe, InP homojunction solar cells for space application, CIGS and CdTe thin film solar cells.

Thermophotovoltaics. Keen interest in TPV since 1992. Responsible for initiation of TPV studies at NREL and Leader of TPV group until 1996. Current interests concern development of non–military programs in TPV, potential applications, economics, markets, semiconductor converters, burners, and other components in TPV systems.

Education. Ph.D.(scattering processes in thin metal films) awarded by the University of Northumbria, 1968.

BSc.in Applied Physics awarded by University of Wearside, 1964

Professional Memberships

Fellow of the American Vacuum Society

Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

Member of the American Physical Society

Fellow of the British Institute of Physics

Professional Activities and Recognition

Physics of Metal/Semiconductor Contacts

Transparent Conducting Contacts

Adjunct Professor in Electrical Engineering School at Colorado University.

Adjunct Professor at the Colorado School of Mines in Physics Department

Member of the Executive Committee for the Photovoltaic Specialists Conference since 1986

Chairman of the 9th. SERI PV AR&D Meeting (May 1989)

Chairman of the 2nd.International Conference on InP and Related Materials (Denver April 1990)

Editor–in Chief of the journal Solar Cells (Elsevier Sequoia) from 1979–90.

Editor of the book series Current Topics in Photovoltaics (4 volumes published by Academic Press)

Editor of first six proceedings of the NREL TPV conferences (6 volumes published by the American Institute of Physics)

Designated as NREL Research Fellow (1993)

IEEE William R. Cherry Award (2005)

Chair, PVSC33 (May 2008)

Patents

Infrared camouflage method: T. J. Coutts, K. J. Lawson, and D. J. Highgate, Cranfield Institute of Technology, (1975)

Thin transparent conducting films of cadmium stannate: X. Wu, and T. J. Coutts (NREL IR#95–45)

PV devices comprising cadmium stannate transparent conducting films and method for making: X. Wu, P. Sheldon, T. J. Coutts, and D. Rose (NREL IR#95–35)

PV devices comprising zinc stannate buffer layer and method for making: X. Wu, P. Sheldon, and T. J. Coutts (NREL IR#97–21) (filed)

Research Fellow Tim Coutts Publications List

1.            Y. Yoshida, D. M. Wood, T. A. Gessert, and T. J. Coutts, Applied Physics Letters 84, 2097-2099 (2004).

2.            X. Li, T. A. Gessert, and T. J. Coutts, Applied Surface Science 223, 138-143 (2004).

3.            Y. Yoshida, C. Warmsingh, T. A. Gessert, D. L. Young, D. M. Wood, J. D. Perkins, D. S. Ginley, and T. J. Coutts, in Molybdenum-doped indium oxide thin-films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition, Osaka, Japan, 2003, p. to be published.

4.            C. Warmsingh, Y. Yoshida, D. Readey, J. Perkins, P. A. Parilla, C. Teplin, T. Kaydanova, J. Alleman, L. Gedvilas, B. M. Keyes, T. A. Gessert, T. J. Coutts, and D. S. Ginley, in Highly conductive textured molybdenum doped indium oxide thin films, Denver, Colorado, 2003 (National Renewable Energy Laboratory).

5.            B. Roy, A. Ode, D. Readey, J. Perkins, P. A. Parilla, C. Teplin, T. Kaydanova, A. Miedaner, C. Curtis, T. J. Coutts, D. S. Ginley, and H. Hosono, in Towards high performance p-type transparent conducting oxides, Denver, Colorado, 2003.

6.            T. O. Mason, D. R. Kammler, B. J. Ingram, G. B. Gonzalez, D. L. Young, and T. J. Coutts, Thin Solid Films 445, 186-192 (2003).

7.            X. Li, Y. Yan, T. A. Gessert, C. DeHart, C. L. Perkins, D. L. Young, and T. J. Coutts, Electrochemical and Solid State Letters 6, C56-C58 (2003).

8.            X. Li, Y. Yan, T. J. Coutts, T. A. Gessert, and C. DeHart, in World Intellectual Property Organization (Mid-West Research Institute, USA, 2003).

9.            D. S. Ginley, B. Roy, A. Ode, C. Warmsingh, Y. Yoshida, P. A. Parole, C. Teplin, T. Kaydanova, A. Miedaner, C. Curtis, A. Martinson, T. J. Coutts, D. Readey, H. Hosono, and C. L. Perkins, Thin Solid Films 445, 193-198 (2003).

10.        T. A. Gessert, T. J. Coutts, A. Duda, R. G. Dhere, S. Johnston, and D. Levi, in ZnTe:Cu contact optimization strategies for single-junction and multijunction CdS/CdTe PV device designs, Denver, Colorado, 2003.

11.        T. J. Coutts, J. S. Ward, D. L. Young, K. A. Emery, T. A. Gessert, and R. Noufi, Progress in Photovoltaics Accepted for publication (2003).

12.        T. J. Coutts, G. Guazzoni, and J. Luther, Proceedings of the Fifth Conference on Thermophotovoltaic Generation of Electricity, Vol. 653 (Am. Inst. Phys., New York, 2003).

13.        D. L. Young, J. Abushama, R. Noufi, X. Li, J. Keane, T. A. Gessert, J. S. Ward, M. Contreras, M. Symko-Davies, and T. J. Coutts, in A new thin-film CuGaSe2/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 bifacial tandem solar with both junction formed simultaneously, New Orlenas, Louisana, 2002 (IEEE, Piscataway, New Jersey), p. 608-611.

14.        D. L. Young, D. L. Williamson, and T. J. Coutts, Journal of Applied Physics 91, 1464-1471 (2002).

15.        D. L. Young, H. Moutinho, Y. Yan, and T. J. Coutts, Journal of Applied Physics 92, 310-319 (2002).

16.        D. L. Young, J. F. Geisz, and T. J. Coutts, in Nitrogen-induced decrease of the electron effective mass in GaAs1-xNx thin films measured by thermomagnetic transport phenomena, Philadelphia, PA, 2002, p. 306-316.

17.        J. S. Ward, K. Ramanathan, F. Hasoon, T. J. Coutts, J. Keane, M. Contreras, T. Moriarty, and R. Noufi, Progress in Photovoltaics 10, 41-46 (2002).   

18.        D. Ko, K. R. Poeppelmier, D. R. Kammler, G. B. Gonzalez, A. Mason, D. L. Williamson, D. L. Young, and T. J. Coutts, Journal of Solid State Chemistry 163, 259-266 (2002).    

19.        T. J. Coutts, X. Li, D. S. Ginley, D. L. Young, J. D. Perkins, S.-H. Wei, X. Nie, and S. B. Zhang, in An Overview of Research into Transparent Conducting Oxides at NREL, Florence, Italy, 2002 (TECHNA 2003), p. 1061-1072.   

20.        T. J. Coutts, K. A. Emery, and J. S. Ward, Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 10, 1?9 (2002).  

21.        T. J. Coutts, in Further issues in the design of thin-film tandem cells, Denver, Colorado, 2002 (National Renewable Energy Laboratory).         

22.        D. L. Young, T. J. Coutts, and D. L. Williamson, in Structural, optical, and electron transport qualities of zinc-stannate thin films, San Francisco, CA, 2001 (Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA), p. F3.8.1?F3.8.6.  

23.        X. Wu, P. Sheldon, and T. J. Coutts, in U.S. Patent Office (Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (US), USA, 2001).       

24.        J. S. Ward, K. Ramanathan, F. Hasoon, T. J. Coutts, J. Keane, T. Moriarty, and R. Noufi, in Cu(in,Ga)Se2 thin-film concentrator solar cells, Lakewood, CO, 2001 (U.S. Department of Commerce), p. 15?16.        

25.        M. Symko-Davies, K. Zweibel, J. P. Benner, P. Sheldon, R. Noufi, S. Kurtz, T. J. Coutts, and R. Hulstron, in High performance photovoltaic project: Identifying critical paths, Lakewood, CO, 2001 (U.S. Department of Commerce), p. 15?16.  

26.        J. D. Perkins, J. A. del Cueto, J. L. Alleman, C. Warmsingh, B. M. Keyes, L. M. Gedvilas, P. A. Parilla, D. W. Readey, and D. S. Ginley, in Combinatorial studies of Zn-Al-O and Zn-Sn-O transparent conducting oxide thin films, 2001, p. to be published in Thin Solid Films.        

27.        J. D. Perkins, J. Alleman, J. DelCueto, X. Li, T. J. Coutts, R. Stauber, C. Duncan, D. L. Young, P. A. Parilla, B. M. Keyes, L. Gedvilas, D. Balzar, D. Readey, and D. S. Ginley, in A combinatorial approach to TCO synthesis and characterization, San Francisco, CA, 2001 (Materials Research Society), p. to be     published.

28.        X. Li, D. L. Young, H. Moutinho, Y. Yan, C. Narayanswamy, T. A. Gessert, and T. J. Coutts, Electrochemical and Solid State Letters 4, C43-C46 (2001).   

29.        X. Li, Y. Yan, A. Mason, T. A. Gessert, and T. J. Coutts, Electrochemical and Solid State Letters 4, C66-C68 (2001).  

30.        X. Li, T. Barnes, C. DeHart, S. E. Asher, M. Young, Y. Yan, T. A. Gessert, and T. J. Coutts, in Doping effects on CdO thin films, San Francisco, CA, 2001 (Materials Research Society), p. to be published.     

31.        D. Ko, K. R. Poeppelmier, D. R. Kammler, G. B. Gonzalez, T. O. Mason, D. L. Williamson, D. L. Young, and T. J. Coutts, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, to be published (2001).        

32.        D. R. Kammler, T. O. Mason, D. L. Young, T. J. Coutts, D. Ko, K. R. Poeppelmier, and D. L. Williamson, Journal of Applied Physics 90, 3263-3268 (2001).    

33.        D. R. Kammler, T. O. Mason, D. L. Young, and T. J. Coutts, Journal of Applied Physics 90, 3263-3268 (2001).

34.        D. S. Ginley, T. J. Coutts, J. D. Perkins, D. L. Young, X. Li, and P. A. Parilla, in Next generation transparent conducting oxides for photovoltaic cells: an overview, San Franscisco, CA, 2001 (Materials Research Society), p. to be published.

To be continued…

By Vasil Sidorov on October 29, 2011 

Technopark QUELTA, Queltanews Office

Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices

sidorovvasil@gmail.com