Dr. Mohammad F. Al-Kuhaili.

Scientific research is the defining attribute of humanity because humans always endeavor to discover new frontiers and knowledge. My main motivation for research is to investigate new ideas, especially those related to my field of research. As an experimental physicist, my main goal in research is to contribute to the scientific community with significant knowledge. Another goal is to participate in solving industrial and societal problems that require scientific research, either by direct investigation of these problems or by graduating highly qualified researchers. In my opinion, the most important criterion of research is integrity, which manifests itself in three aspects: factual and critical production of reliable and reproducible data and observations, respect of intellectual property, and avoidance of exaggerated claims about scientific results and their implications.

Thin films (coatings) are at the core of many industries, including microelectronics, optoelectronics, renewable energy, and protective coatings. My research work in this group can be divided into the following two categories:

(i) Deposition and characterization of thin films: Deposition was carried out using physical vapor deposition (thermal and e-beam evaporation), magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, and spin coating. The investigated materials were mainly metals and semiconductors. The structural and chemical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Special emphasis was devoted to the optical properties, which were determined using the spectrophotometric method.

(ii) Applications of thin films: I have focused on four applications of thin films, namely energy-efficient coatings, photovoltaic materials, transparent conductors, and gas sensors.

I have published or participated in 75 peer-reviewed journal papers.

I was appointed as the director of the Energy Research Center for three years (2004–2007).

Since 2005, I have been the coordinator of the thin films and materials group where I have managed the group activities and needs.

I have supervised ten physics graduate students: seven at the master level and three at the PhD level. I have introduced them into the important field of experimental condensed matter physics and geared their work toward applications. I have guided them throughout their experimental work and have also enhanced their analytical capabilities for data interpretation and presentation. More importantly, the students received a vast experience searching and getting confidence in the literature related to their research.

Project proposals: As a principal investigator, I have submitted four project proposals, which were approved, and have been completed. Two projects were KFUPM internally funded, while the other two were funded by the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) through the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP).

Seminars: I have presented nine seminars in the physics department. The topics include thin films, gas sensors, surface plasmons, optical properties, electromodulation, and energy-efficient coatings. The purpose of these seminars was to inform the physics faculty and students about the applications of thin films, and the physics underlying their applications.

I have refereed manuscripts for the following journals:

1. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

2. Applied Physics A

3. Applied Materials Today

4. Applied Surface Science

5. Ceramics International

6. ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology

7. International Journal of Energy Research

8. Journal of Alloys and Compounds

9. Journal of Electroceramics

10. Journal of Luminescence

11. Journal of Materials Chemistry C

12. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics

13. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids

14. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B

15. Langmuir

16. Materials Chemistry and Physics

17. Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy

18. Materials Research Bulletin

19. Materials Research Express

20. Materials Science and Engineering B

21. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing

22. Optical Materials

23. Optics and Laser Technology

24. Physica B

25. Scientific Reports

26. Sensors and Actuators B

27. Solar Energy

28. Spectroscopy Letters

29. Surface and Interface Analysis

30. Surfaces and Interfaces

31. Talanta

32. Thin Solid Films

33. Vacuum

Impact: The best measure of the impact and significance of my research is the number of citations of my work. My publications have been cited in international journals, conference proceedings, book chapters, patents, and Ph.D. theses conducted in some of the best universities in the world. Such citations reflect international recognition and acceptance of my research results.

Research fields

§ Experimental condensed matter physics

§ Growth, characterization and applications of thin films

§ Optical and electrical properties of semiconductors

§ Modulation spectroscopy

§ Functional coatings: gas sensors, energy-efficient coatings, transparent conductors

Research skills

§ DC/RF magnetron sputtering

§ Optical spectroscopy

§ Physical vapor deposition

§ Pulsed laser deposition

§ Vacuum technology