Seth Hubbard Headshot

Seth Hubbard

School Head

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Program Faculty, Materials Science MS
Program Faculty, Microsystems Engineering PhD
Member, NanoPower Research Laboratories

585-475-4214
Office Location
Office Mailing Address
85 Lomb Memorial Drive, CAR-1450

Seth Hubbard

School Head

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Program Faculty, Materials Science MS
Program Faculty, Microsystems Engineering PhD
Member, NanoPower Research Laboratories

Education

BS, Drexel University; MS, Case Western Reserve University; Ph.D., University of Michigan

Bio

Dr. Seth Hubbard is currently Professor and Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy.  He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Microsystem Engineering PhD Program and is a member of the NanoPower Research Laboratory, serving as lab director from 2015-2025.  Dr. Hubbard research involves epitaxial growth, fabrication and characterization of solar photovoltaic and optoelectronics devices.  He has received over $20M in funded external research related to photovoltaic device development, has authored or co-authored over 200 journal and conference publications on electronic and photovoltaic devices and received an NSF CAREER Award as well as the RIT Trustee Scholarship Award. Dr. Hubbard serves as an Editor of the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics and is actively involved in the organization of the IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference.  He has been the advisor to 6 post-doctoral fellows, 15 PhD graduates and over 30 MS students. Prof. Hubbard received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The University of Michigan and a B.S. in Physics from Drexel University.

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585-475-4214

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

Journal Paper
Khatiwada, D., et al. "High‐efficiency Single‐junction p‐i‐n GaAs Solar Cell on Roll‐to‐roll Epi‐ready Flexible Metal Foils for Low‐cost Photovoltaics." ,\" Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications 28. 11 (2020): 1107-1109. Web.
D’Rozario, Julia R, et al. "Thin Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells With Maskless Back Surface Reflectors." IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 10. 6 (2020): 1681-1688. Web.
Nelson, George T, et al. "In Situ Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy and Dark Current Measurements of Proton-Irradiated InGaAs Photodiodes." IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 67. 9 (2020): 2051-2061. Web.
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Published Conference Proceedings
Bradshaw, Geoffrey K., et al. "Investigation of Radiative Coupling from InGaAsP Quantum Wells for Improving End-of-Life (EOL) Efficiency in Multijunction Solar Cells." Proceedings of the Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), 2019 IEEE 46th. Ed. Sarah Kurtz. Chicago, Il: n.p., Web.
Hubbard, Seth, et al. "Thin-Barrier Strained Quantum Well Superlattice Solar Cells." Proceedings of the Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), 2019 IEEE 46th. Ed. Sarah Kurtz. Chicago, Il: n.p., Web.
McClure, E. L., et al. "Gallium Arsenide Solar Cell Growth on Polycrystalline Germanium Substrates by Aluminum-Induced Crystallization." Proceedings of the Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), 2019 IEEE 46th. Ed. Sarah Kurtz. Chicago, Il: n.p., Web.
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Full Length Book
Hubbard, S. PV from Fundamentals to Applications. 10 ed. Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley, 2016. Print.
Invited Paper
Strong, W. H., D. V. Forbes, and S. M. Hubbard. "Investigation of Deep Level Defects in Electron Irradiated Indium Arsenide Quantum dots Embedded in a Gallium Arsenide Matrix." Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing. (2014). Print.
Published Article
Forbes,D., S. Hubbard,R. Raffaelle, and J.S. McNatt. “Au-catalyst -free epitaxy of InAs nanowires.” Journal of Crystal Growth, 312 (2010): 1391-1395. Print. É  *
Hubbard, S.M. “Quantum Dot Solar Cells.” in Nano-technology for photovoltaics. Ed. L. Tsakalakos. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2010. n.p. Print. É 
Bailey, Christopher G., Stephen J. Polly, Joanne Okvath, David V. Forbes, Cory D. Cress, Seth M. Hubbard, Ryne P. Raffaelle. “Temperature Dependent Photoluminescence Spectroscopyof InAs/GaAs Solar Cells.” Proceedings of the 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. 20-25 June 2010. n.p. Print. "  É 
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Currently Teaching

MCSE-705
3 Credits
This graduate course focuses on the epitaxial crystal growth and thin film science widely applicable in the electronics and semiconductor industry. This course provides a combination of fundamental and practical knowledge regarding deposition and characterization of metallic and semiconductor thin film materials. Topics include, but are not limited to, thermodynamics of thin film deposition, crystal structures and defects in thin films, the basic nucleation and growth mechanisms of thin films (growth models, lattice matching epitaxy and domain matching epitaxy), thin film processing techniques (physics vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, vapor phase epitaxy, molecular beam epitaxy, pulsed laser deposition), thin film growth instrumentation (energy source, chamber configurations, vacuum systems and growth controllers), and several advanced topics related to defect and dislocation control during the growth of thin films for electrical and optical devices.
MTSE-777
3 Credits
This course is a capstone project using research facilities available inside or outside of RIT.
MTSE-790
1 - 9 Credits
Dissertation research by the candidate for an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
MTSE-793
0 Credits
Continuation of Thesis
PHYS-790
1 - 4 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-791
0 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.

In the News

  • September 27, 2024

    Rocket taking off. Sign in front of rocket reads, U.S. Space Force Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

    Rochester Business Journal talks with Seth Hubbard, professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy, about RIT being selected to lead U.S. Space Force University Consortium/Space Strategic Technology Institute 3 research.

  • August 20, 2024

    human hands are shown putting a clear disk with blue wires extending from it on to a machine.

    New Ph.D. programs welcome students this fall

    The university’s two newest Ph.D. programs in cognitive science and physics offer diverse research opportunities for students and help them gain the skills and abilities needed to analyze data and grasp complex concepts. The new programs bring RIT’s total doctoral programs to 15.