Vhahangwele Makumbane, PhD

Mbilwi Secondary School

University of the Free State

Project Title: Study of the structural and luminescence properties of Ho3+,Yb3+ co-doped Y2O3 nano-phosphors for solar cells applications.•Synthesis of Y2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ phosphor powders using urea-assisted solution combustion method.• Sample characterization using XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, UV-Vis, and PL techniques.• Oral presentations and technical writing.Coursework: Central Concepts in Nanoscience, Advanced nanophysics, Experimental techniques in nanophysics, Management… Show more Project Title: Study of the structural and luminescence properties of Ho3+,Yb3+ co-doped Y2O3 nano-phosphors for solar cells applications.•Synthesis of Y2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ phosphor powders using urea-assisted solution combustion method.• Sample characterization using XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, UV-Vis, and PL techniques.• Oral presentations and technical writing.Coursework: Central Concepts in Nanoscience, Advanced nanophysics, Experimental techniques in nanophysics, Management for nanoscientists, Foundations of nano-biomedical Sciences for non-biologists, Foundations of nano-chemistry for non-chemists. Show less

University of the Free State/Universiteit van die Vrystaat

• Deposition of ZnO thin films using electron beam evaporation and pulse laser deposition (PLD) techniques.• Explore the films’ structural, surface, and optical properties using XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, AES, ToF-SIMS, and PL.• Oral presentations and technical writing.

University of the Free State

University of the Free State

The project focused on addressing the issue of spectral mismatch in silicon-based solar cells, aiming to improve their performance through energy conversion luminescent materials.• Deposition of Y2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ layers using PLD and spin-coating techniques.• Preparation of hollow SiO2 anti-reflective (AR)coatings.• Sample characterization using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, AFM, XPS, PL, CL, and UV-Vis.• Practical application of the prepared layers on commercial silicon-based solar… Show more The project focused on addressing the issue of spectral mismatch in silicon-based solar cells, aiming to improve their performance through energy conversion luminescent materials.• Deposition of Y2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ layers using PLD and spin-coating techniques.• Preparation of hollow SiO2 anti-reflective (AR)coatings.• Sample characterization using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, AFM, XPS, PL, CL, and UV-Vis.• Practical application of the prepared layers on commercial silicon-based solar cells.• I-V testing using Solar Simulator.• Temperature sensing behavior of the Y2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ powders. Show less