Background

MVS Chandrashekharis an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of South Carolina.  He is an expert in wide bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors and related extreme materials for nanoelectronics, with over 20 years of experience. Born in India, raised in Singapore, has had broad exposure to the various types of energy problems that different economies face. His current research interests are in UWBG III-nitrides, SiC, and other extreme materials for power electronics and optical/chemical sensing applications. Recently this has expanded to applications in real-time monitoring of physical biometrics, including in free living children with the RCCWB, as well as soldiers on the battlefield. Dr. Chandrashekhar’s expertise in crystal growth, materials characterization, device design, fabrication and characterization has led to over 80 journal articles, with over 5000 citations (h-index=27). His research has been funded by DoD, DOE, and NSF, leading to 7 patents issued and many more pending. He has given >100 conference and invited presentations. Dr. Chandrashekhar, is co-founder of Widetronix, an energy company in the SiC WBG space. 

Education

• Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, 2006.
• B.S., Electrical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), 2001.

Recent Papers

• Jahangir, Ifat, M. Ahsan Uddin, Amol K. Singh, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Goutam Koley. "Graphene/MoS2 Thin Film based Two Dimensional Barristors with Tunable Schottky Barrier for Sensing Applications." IEEE Sensors Journal (2021), DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2021.3120792
• Alam, Md Didarul, Mikhail Gaevski, Mohi Uddin Jewel, Shahab Mollah, Abdullah Mamun, Kamal Hussain, Richard Floyd, Grigory Simin, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Asif Khan. "Excimer laser liftoff of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on thick AlN heat spreaders." Applied Physics Letters 119, no. 13 (2021): 132106 
• Zare, Arezoo, Mo‐Rigen He, Michael Straker (MS from MSU Sabbatical), M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Michael Spencer, Kevin J. Hemker, James W. McCauley, and K. T. Ramesh. "Mechanical characterization of boron carbide single crystals." Journal of the American Ceramic Society (2021), https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.18065 
• Ahmed, Fiaz, Mathew L. Kelley, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Andrew B. Greytak. "Improved Charge Transport in PbS Quantum Dot Thin Films following Gel Permeation Chromatography Purification." The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 125, no. 32 (2021): 17796-17805 
• Floyd, Richard, Mikhail Gaevski, Kamal Hussain, Abdullah Mamun, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Grigory Simin, and Asif Khan. "Enhanced light extraction efficiency of micropixel geometry AlGaN DUV light-emitting diodes." Applied Physics Express 14, no. 8 (2021): 084002 
• Kelley, Mathew L., Grigory Simin, Kamal Hussain, Asif Khan, Andrew B. Greytak, and M. V. S. Chandrashekhar. "Spatially resolved Fourier transform impedance spectroscopy: A technique to rapidly characterize interfaces, applied to a QD/SiC heterojunction." Applied Physics Letters 118, no. 22 (2021): 223102 
• Kelley, Mathew L., Fiaz Ahmed, Sakiru L. Abiodun, Mohammad Usman, Mohi Uddin Jewel, Kamal Hussain, Hans-Conrad zur Loye, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Andrew B. Greytak. "Photoconductive Thin Films Composed of Environmentally Benign AgBiS2 Nanocrystal Inks Obtained through a Rapid Phase Transfer Process." ACS Applied Electronic Materials 3, no. 4 (2021): 1550-1555 
• Mollah, Shahab, Kamal Hussain, Abdullah Mamun, Mikhail Gaevski, Grigory Simin, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Asif Khan. "High-current recessed gate enhancement-mode ultrawide bandgap Al x Ga1− x N channel MOSHFET with drain current 0.48 A mm− 1 and threshold voltage+ 3.6 V." Applied Physics Express 14, no. 1 (2021): 014003 
• Lyle, Luke AM, Serdal Okur, Venkata SN Chava, Mathew L. Kelley , Robert F. Davis, Gary S. Tompa, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Andrew B. Greytak, and Lisa M. Porter. "Characterization of Epitaxial β-(Al, Ga, In) 2 O 3-Based Films and Applications as UV Photodetectors." Journal of Electronic Materials (2020): 1-9.  

Patents

• Kelley, Mathew, Andrew B. Greytak, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Joshua Letton. "Photovoltaic Junctions and Methods of Production." U.S. Patent Application 16/857,687, filed December 31, 2020 
• Chandrashekhar, M. V. S., Joshua Letton, Travis Williams, Abdulganiyu Ajilore, and Michael Spencer. "Laser induced graphitization of boron carbide in air." U.S. Patent 10,981,836, issued April 20, 2021 
• Chava, Venkata Surya N., M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Anusha Balachandran. "Voltage tunable solar blindness in tfs grown eg/sic schottky contact bipolar phototransistors." U.S. Patent Application 16/624,402, filed April 16, 2020 
• Balachandran, Anusha, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Tangali S. Sudarshan. "Elimination of Basal Plane Dislocation and Pinning the Conversion Point Below the Epilayer Interface for SiC Power Device Applications." U.S. Patent Application 16/487,287, filed February 20, 2020 
• Jahangir, Ifat, Goutam Koley, and M. V. S. Chandrashekhar. "Synthesis and fabrication of transition metal dichalcogenide structures." U.S. Patent 10,777,410, issued September 15, 2020. 
• Chandrashekhar, M. V. S., Tangali S. Sudarshan, Sabih U. Omar, Gabriel Brown, and Shamaita S. Shetu. "Optically switched graphene/4H-SiC junction bipolar transistor." U.S. Patent 9,966,491, issued May 8, 2018 
• Spencer, Michael, and M. V. S. Chandrashekhar. "Betavoltaic battery with a shallow junction and a method for making same." U.S. Patent 8,017,412, issued September 13, 2011. 
• Spencer, Michael, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Chris Thomas. "Nuclear batteries." U.S. Patent 8,134,216, issued March 13, 2012 
• Spencer, Michael, and M. V. S. Chandrashekhar. "High power density betavoltaic battery." U.S. Patent 8,487,392, issued July 16, 2013 
• Chandrashekhar, M. V. S., Christopher Ian Thomas, and Michael G. Spencer. "Betavoltaic cell." U.S. Patent 7,663,288, issued February 16, 2010 

2021 FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS DIVISION Journal of Electronic Materials BEST PAPER AWARD

• Mollah, Shahab, Kamal Hussain, Richard Floyd, Abdullah Mamun, Mikhail Gaevski, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Iftikhar Ahmad et al. "High‐Temperature Operation of AlxGa1− xN (x> 0.4) Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors with High‐k Atomic Layer Deposited Gate Oxides." physica status solidi (a) (2020): 1900802. 
• Floyd, Richard, Mikhail Gaevski, Md Didarul Alam, Samia Islam, Kamal Hussain, Abdullah Mamun, Shahab Mollah, Grigory Simin, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, and Asif Khan. "An opto-thermal study of high brightness 280 nm emission AlGaN micropixel light-emitting diode arrays." Applied Physics Express 14, no. 1 (2020): 014002. 
• Mollah, Shahab, Mikhail Gaevski, Kamal Hussain, Abdullah Mamun, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Grigory Simin, and Asif Khan. "Temperature characteristics of high-current UWBG enhancement and depletion mode AlGaN-channel MOSHFETs." Applied Physics Letters 117, no. 23 (2020): 232105 
• Gaevski, Mikhail, Shahab Mollah, Kamal Hussain, Joshua Letton, Abdullah Mamun, Mohi Uddin Jewel, M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Grigory Simin, and Asif Khan. "Ultrawide bandgap Al x Ga1–x N channel heterostructure field transistors with drain currents exceeding 1.3 A mm− 1." Applied Physics Express 13, no. 9 (2020): 094002 

Courses Taught

• ELCT 101: Introduction to Electrical Engineering (3 Credit Hours)-2009-2016
  • This was a fresh preparation that went through several iterations. The successful model was a practice/community-based re-envisioning of the freshman experience. This success led to a lot of press University-wide and may serve as a format for a summer distance learning offering for freshman engineering. Future iterations by other instructors have used this modular approach.
• ELCT222: Signals and Systems (3 Credit Hours)-2011-present
  • This was a fresh preparation to emphasize frequency response and respond to the needs of upper class courses (e.g. ELCT301 below). I have incorporated the use of in-class lab exercises using the Analog Discovery Kit that enabled seamless transition to online learning during the pandemic without dilution of the practical aspects of the course. Students also build a heart rate monitor, a very tangible application of analog signal processing. For their final projects on computer-based signal processing, they previously wrote a music visualizer, although currently, I am implementing a new project on extraction of heart rate from their measured heart rate signals.
• ELCT780: Advanced Semiconductor Physics (3 Credit Hours)-2011-2012
  • This fresh preparation was created for my graduate students. There was an emphasis on solid-state physics, and led to students from chemistry and physics also taking the course.
• ELCT 782: Power Semiconductor Devices (3 Credit Hours)-2012-2012
  • This fresh preparation was also created by me for my graduate students based on Prof. Baliga’s seminal textbook on power semiconductors.
• ELCT 301: Electronics Laboratory (3 Credit Hours)-2011-2011
  • This is an intermediate electronic lab taught based on my colleague Prof. Enrico Santi’s course materials.
• ELCT402-404: Capstone Senior Design (3 Credit Hours)-2013-2017
  • This sequence was taught based on an existing model created by my colleague Prof. Roger Dougal. I helped him transition from the 1 semester (402) sequence to the 2 semester (403/4) sequence, which was challenging. In addition to creating new projects each semester and overseeing the teams, I also came up with new teaching materials for the classroom portion of the course.
• ELCT221: Circuits (3 Credit Hours)-2013-2013
  • This was taught by assisting my colleague Prof. Grigory Simin (instructor of record) as a backup professor for labs, exams, and certain lectures.
• ENCP499:  NSF NEU Funded Course on Nanotechnology (3 Credit Hours)-2012
  • This course was taught assisting Prof. Navid Saleh (PI). This was an experimental course that served as an introduction to nanoscience. I was engaged with preparation of course materials and a few lectures.
• ELCT582: Semiconductor Laboratory (3 Credit Hours)-2015-2015
  • This was a fresh preparation. Graduate/undergraduate students learned about semiconductor fabrication, and went into the clean room to build silicon p-n diodes from the wafer level up. Being taught over the summer was ideal training for PhD students in the microelectronics group, while undergraduates were able to take advantage of the summer elective.
• ELCT371: Electronics (3 Credit Hours)-2019-present
  • This course was expanded upon by me, with Dr. Moinul Islam’s materials. I have changed the emphasis on BJT’s to MOSFET’s a widely used contemporary technology, particularly in the context of digital logic circuits, as well as class-D amplifiers in electric vehicles. I have also added materials on op-amp design using MOSFET’s, current mirrors, active loads, and for Spring 2021, cascode circuits. I have incorporated the use of the Analog Discovery kit to measure and validate small signal models in class.
• ELCT763: Semiconductor Device Modeling and Simulation (3 Credit Hours)-2021-present
  • This course was created by my colleague Prof. Grigory Simin and me to provide our graduate students an overview of computer modeling in solving electrical engineering problems. My portion is on the use of Matlab to model light extraction of LEDs, and its relation to the circuit behavior of the device.
• ELCT871: Advances in Semiconductor Devices (3 Credit Hours)-2021-present
  • This course was co-taught by me colleagues Profs. Grigory Simin, Krishna Mandal and me to provide our graduate students in microelectronics an overview of contemporary advances in semiconductors, with an emphasis on power devices. My portion of the class was on SiC heteropolytpe junctions.