Salvatore MIRABELLA

SALVO MIRABELLA (WoS Researcher ID: E-4672-2010) received his Laurea (1999) and PhD (2003) in Physics from University of Catania (Italy). Since 2003 he was a staff researcher at INFM-MATIS first and at CNR-IMM (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi) later, being also an elected member of the IMM-Consiglio di Istituto. Since 2016, March, he moved to the University of Catania as Associate Professor in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, teaching Semiconductors, Photonics and Materials Science Lab at BS in Physics (Condensed Matter Physics curriculum) and Electromagnetism at MS in Computer Science Enginering. He is now president of the Research Committee of DFA, participant to the Commissione Paritetica Docenti Studenti. He was vice-coordinator of the Teachers Board in the PhD Course in Materials Science and Nanotechnology (period 2016-2019). He is scientific responsible for ion beam laboratory (Singletron) and for NanoSPES (NanoSemiconductor PhotoElectrochemical Spectroscopy) lab, both at DFA.

His research activity is mainly experimental, focusing on semiconductor nanostructures for Energy, Smart Sensing and Microelectronics (light absorption in Si or Ge quantum structures, sunlight-energy conversion, low-cost ZnO nanostructures, point-defects and dopants in Si and Ge, ion beam modification of materials). Since 2000 Salvo contributed to more than 200 scientific papers, with more than 3800 citations, and holds an H- factor of 34 (Scopus, January 2021). He wrote a review paper on invitation upon B diffusion mechanism. Along the way, he established scientific collaboration with some EU and USA research institutes and universities, he has been invited speaker, chairman and member of scientific committees at various international scientific conferences, participant of several national and EU research projects, referees for international scientific journals (Physical Review Letters, Applied Physics Letters, Journal of Applied Physics, Optics Express, Nanoscale, …), responsible for research tasks in scientific projects. He co-organized three international scientific conferences (IBMM2006, Symposium I at E-MRS Spring 2009, Symposium Y at E-MRS Spring 2014), being also co-Editor of the relative three Proceeding Books, edited by Elsevier. He co-edited one book (‘’Nanotechnology and Photovoltaic Devices – Light Energy Harvesting with Group IV Nanostructures’’, Pan Stanford Publishing, 2015) and co-authored three book chapters (with CRC-T&F group, and with Pan Stanford Publishing) in materials science applied for photovoltaics.

He holds one international patent on point-defect engineering "METHOD FOR SUPPRESSING TRANSIENT ENHANCED DIFFUSION OF DOPANTS IN SILICON" N.EP1454348 A1.
His public engagement activity goes from local actions (aimed at high school students and general public) to national and international events such as FameLab (he is the main organizer of the
Catania selection since 2017), Pint of Science (local organizing committee since 2017), local reference person for EPS-YM (European Physical Society-Young Minds) Catania section, participant to the European Researcher’s Night (SHARPER project).

Updated at 27 October 2023

Low-cost nanostructures based on transition metal oxides (ZnO, NiO, CuO) for advanced sensing applications. Light absorption in Si or Ge nanostructures (quantum dots and quantum wells) embedded in insulating matrices. High-efficiency photodetectors realization with Ge quantum dots. Investigation of very thin, transparent and conductive films based on AZO and Ag. Atomic diffusion of B in amorphous Si, in crystalline Si and crystalline Ge. Electrical activation and precipitation of B and Ga in crystalline Ge, and of B in crystalline Si. Point defect engineering in Ge.

Since 2015 Salvo Mirabella takes care of public engagement and science communication through several activities, among which:

• FameLab Italia
• Pint of Science
• Notte europea dei ricercatori