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Demosthenes Koutsogeorgis

Demosthenes Koutsogeorgis

Associate Professor

School of Science & Technology

Staff Group(s)
Physics and Mathematics

Role

Associate Professor of Photonic Technologies

Dr Koutsogeorgis' responsibilities include teaching, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as academic and industrial research.

He is a Module Leader, a Placement Tutor, a Placement Provider, a Project Supervisor (BSc Final Year and Masters projects), a Director of Studies for PhD programmes, the IMEC Research Centre PGR coordinator, a Research Group Leader (iSMaRT Research Group - for research interests and activity please see the relevant tab) and finally the NTU Laser Safety Adviser.

Dr Koutsogeorgis has been one of the founding members (in 2006) of an initiative for providing industry with direct access to the expertise of his Research Group at NTU, via "Thin Film Services" (TFS). This initiative was succeeded by a wider initiative "Scientific Services To Industry" (SS2i), covering the whole School of Science and Technology at NTU. More recently he has been one of the key academics in specifying, designing and delivering parts of the MTIF project at NTU. His research group iSMaRT (Innovations in Surfaces Materials And Related Technologies) is wholly based in MTIF Clifton.

In the past, Dr Koutsogeorgis has served as the interim Head of STEM Development (Feb 2018 to July 2019), an Academic Board Member (2007-2010 and 2010-2013), a Health and Safety Adviser, a Direct Entry Admissions Tutor and a panel member on Course Validations. Also he has served as a University and College Union (UCU) official, with the roles of the Health and Safety Representative and a local NTU Committee Representative.

Career overview

Dr Koutsogeorgis graduated from the University of Ioannina, Greece, in 1997, with a BSc in Physics. He then moved to Nottingham Trent University as PhD candidate (Research Assistant) in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department and was awarded a PhD in 2003 ("Investigation of laser annealing of phosphor thin films for potential luminescent devices", Nottingham Trent University, 2003). He joined NTU in 2000 as a member of the research staff (Research Associate) funded by industry, and in 2002 he became a Lecturer. He had a short career break from August 2003 to September 2004 (in order to complete his military service in Greece) and upon return, he resumed his teaching and research activity. In 2005 he became a Senior Lecturer and in 2013 he was promoted to Reader in Photonic Technologies. As of August 2017 he is an Associate Professor of Photonic Technologies in the Department of Physics & Mathematics, in the School of Science and Technology, at Nottingham Trent University.

Research areas

Dr Koutsogeorgis' research interest is in the area of Material Science. Specific areas of interest include thin film technology, laser processing, luminescent devices, plasmonics, electronic devices, smart coatings.

The materials and processes he is developing and studying have numerous applications in the area of nanotechnology, spanning several industries including those of photovoltaics, data storage, security and authentication, optoelectronics, flexible electronics, thin film transistors, displays, optical coatings, functional coatings, laser machining, laser prototyping, biosensors and biomedical technologies. Currently he is leading the iSMaRT (Innovations in Surfaces Materials and Related Technologies) Research Group. His research group benefits from long standing expertise in thin film technology and laser processing of thin films. The main focus of its work is in developing optical coatings comprising hard wearing and long lasting dielectric thin films with metal nanoparticles of controlled size and density embedded in them. He has developed, at NTU, a unique technology that delivers subsurface modification and control of the nanoparticles, (size and density,) for engineering the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon into applications. Also, phosphor thin films are studied and developed as the light emitting layer for electro-, cathode-, and photo- luminescent devices. The group's unique laser processing technology provides durable thin film layers of phosphor materials with brighter light output and longer lifetime under a range of different excitations. Development of oxide thin films for the semiconductor industry is concentrated around thin film materials suitable for transparent and flexible electronics. The laser processing technology is capable of controlling the properties of the thin film materials and result in the fine tuning of their semi-conducting characteristics. Since this is a low temperature process, it is compatible with low cost, flexible and transparent substrates. Finally, the group is also applying its expertise and knowledge in laser processing of materials for biomedical applications (biosensors,  tissue engineering etc).

Over the years, the techniques and materials shown below have been a subject of research, for the applications also listed below :

Techniques

Deposition:

  • RF Magnetron Sputtering, HiTUS™ Sputtering, DC Magnetron Sputtering, Thermal Evaporation, Ink-Jet Printing, Electro-spinning, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), solution processed thin films (Sol-Gel).

Processing:

  • Laser Annealing, Thermal Annealing, , Rapid Thermal Annealing, Laser Sintering, Laser Cutting, UV Curing, Laser Drilling,  Laser Ablation, Laser Marking, Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT).

Optical Characterisation:

  • Optical Transmittance Spectroscopy (OTS),  Optical Reflectance Spectroscopy (ORS), Electro-luminescence (EL), Photo-luminescence (PL), Cathodo-luminescence (CL), White Light Interferometry (roughness and profilometry), Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE) covering UV-VIS-NIR-far IR.

Electrical Characterisation:

  • Capacitance (C-V), Conductance (G-V), Current (I-V), Sheet Resistance, Hall Effect, Mobility, Carrier Density.

Structural Characterisation:

  • X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photon Spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray Reflection (XRR), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),  Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Stylus Profilometry, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), micro CT.

Materials

Conductors:

  • Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide (AZO), Gallium doped Tin Oxide (GZO), Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO), Antimony doped Tin Oxide (ATO), Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO), Titanium Nitride (TiN), Gold (Au), Platinum (Pt), Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu), Aluminium (Al).

Semiconductors:

  • Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), Indium Oxide (In2O3), Vanadium Dioxide (VO2), Titanium Oxide (TiO2), Copper Indium Gallium Sulfide (CIGS), Zinc Sulfide (ZnS).

Dielectrics:

  • Yttrium Oxide (Y2O3), Halfnium Oxide (HfO2), Zirconium Oxide (ZrO), Silicon Oxy-Nitride (SiOxNy), Silicon Oxide (SiO2), Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3), Titanium Oxide (TiO2), Aluminium Nitride (AlN).

Phosphors:

  • ZnS:Mn, ZnS:Ag, ZnS:Cu, La2O2S:Tb, Gd2O2S:Tb, Y2O3:Eu, Y2O3:Tb, GaN.

Applications

Plasmonic Nanoparticles:

  • SERS, Photovoltaics, Decorative coatings, Non Linear Optics, Security, Cryptography, Optical data storage, Light out-coupling.

Electronic Displays:

  • Electro-luminescence, Cathodo-luminescence, Photo-luminescence, Light Emitting Diodes, Flexible Displays, Head Mounted Displays, Transparent Displays, Head UP Displays, Wearable Displays.

Electronic Devices:

  • Transparent Conductors, Transparent Electronics, Thin Film Transistors, Flexible Electronics, LEDs.

Biomedical:

  • Fibre-optic biosensors (LSPR enhanced), surface modified PEEK for enhanced biocompatibility.

Opportunities to carry out postgraduate work towards a PhD exist and further information may be obtained from the NTU Graduate School.

External activity

Dr Koutsogeorgis is a member of the organising committee of the International Conference of Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies (workshop 2). He is a regular participant in other international research conferences like the E-MRS, MRS, TCM-TOEO, innoLAE. Additionally he works closely with several industrial collaborators (nationally and internationally) with the aim of transferring knowledge gained in academic research into industrial production and, at the same time, to identify academic research directions that are relevant, current and with high industrial impact.

Sponsors and collaborators

Current collaborators and sponsors include:

Past sponsors and collaborators include:

  • Innovate UK (UK)
  • EU – FP7 programme
  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal)
  • Imperial College London (UK)
  • University of Cambridge (UK)
  • The University of Birmingham (UK)
  • University College London (UK)
  • Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus (Greece)
  • Photonis S.A.S (France)
  • Plasma Quest Limited (UK)
  • PragmatIC Printing Ltd (UK)
  • Technology Strategy Board TSB (UK)
  • Keeling and Walker Ltd (UK)
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC (UK)
  • Ultra Electronics Limited - Electrics Division UEED (UK)
  • Lite Array Inc (USA)
  • Extec Hybrids Ltd (UK)
  • Laser for Science Facility (LSF) and the Central Microstructure Facility (CMF) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL) (UK)
  • ST microelectronics (Italy)
  • Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (UK)
  • University of Ghent (Belgium)
  • UK Displays and Lighting Network (UK)
  • Patterning Technologies Limited PTL (UK)

Publications

Selected publications include:

KOUTSIAKI, C., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and KALFAGIANNIS, N., 2023. Physicochemical analysis of nanoscale metal oxide thin film precursors via infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. ISSN 1932-7447

HILLIER, J.A., PATSALAS, P., KARFARDIS, D., CRANTON, W., NABOK, A.V., MELLOR, C.J., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and KALFAGIANNIS, N., 2022. Reactive laser annealing of indium tin oxide: implications to crystal structure, defect composition, and plasma energy. Optical Materials Express, 12 (11), pp. 4310-4327. ISSN 2159-3930

HILLIER, J.A., PATSALAS, P., KARFARIDIS, D., CAMELIO, S., CRANTON, W., NABOK, A.V., MELLOR, C.J., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and KALFAGIANNIS, N., 2022. Photo-engineered optoelectronic properties of indium tin oxide via reactive laser annealing. Scientific Reports, 12: 14986. ISSN 2045-2322

HILLIER, J.A., CAMELIO, S., CRANTON, W., NABOK, A.V., MELLOR, C.J., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and KALFAGIANNIS, N., 2020. When ellipsometry works best: a case study with transparent conductive oxides. ACS Photonics. ISSN 2330-4022

YARALI, E., KOUTSIAKI, C., FABER, H., TETZNER, K., YENGEL, E., PATSALAS, P., KALFAGIANNIS, N., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and ANTHOPOULOS, T.D., 2019. Recent progress in photonic processing of metal‐oxide transistors. Advanced Functional Materials. ISSN 1616-301X

DELLIS, S., PLIATSIKAS, N., KALFAGIANNIS, N., LIDOR-SHALEV, O., PAPADERAKIS, A., VOURLIAS, G., SOTIROPOULOS, S., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., MASTAI, Y. and PATSALAS, P., 2018. Broadband luminescence in defect-engineered electrochemically produced porous Si/ZnO nanostructures. Scientific Reports, 8: 6988. ISSN 2045-2322

KAPNISI, M., MANSFIELD, C., MARIJON, C., GUEX, A.G., PERBELLINI, F., BARDI, I., HUMPHREY, E.J., PUETZER, J.L., MAWAD, D., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., STUCKEY, D.J., TERRACCIANO, C.M., HARDING, S.E. and STEVENS, M.M., 2018. Auxetic cardiac patches with tunable mechanical and conductive properties toward treating myocardial infarction. Advanced Functional Materials.ISSN 1616-301X

DELLIS, S., KALFAGIANNIS, N., KASSAVETIS, S., BAZIOTI, C., DIMITRAKOPULOS, G.P., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C. and PATSALAS, P., 2017. Photoluminescence enhancement of ZnO via coupling with surface plasmons on Al thin films. Journal of Applied Physics, 121 (10), p. 103104. ISSN 0021-8979

DELLIS, S., ISAKOV, I., KALFAGIANNIS, N., TETZNER, K., ANTHOPOULOS, T.D. and KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., 2017. Rapid laser-induced photochemical conversion of sol–gel precursors to In2O3 layers and their application in thin-film transistors. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 5 (15), pp. 3673-3677. ISSN 2050-7526

BELLAS, D.V., TOLIOPOULOS, D., KALFAGIANNIS, N., SIOZIOS, A., NIKOLAOU, P., KELIRES, P.C., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., PATSALAS, P. and LIDORIKIS, E., 2016. Simulating the opto-thermal processes involved in laser induced self-assembly of surface and sub-surface plasmonic nano-structuring. Thin Solid Films: International Journal on the Science and Technology of Condensed Matter Films. ISSN 0040-6090

EL HAMALI, S.O., CRANTON, W.M., KALFAGIANNIS, N., HOU, X., RANSON, R. and KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., 2016. Enhanced electrical and optical properties of room temperature deposited Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) thin films by excimer laser annealing. Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 80, pp. 45-51. ISSN 0143-8166

KALFAGIANNIS, N., SIOZIOS, A., BELLAS, D.V., TOLIOPOULOS, D., BOWEN, L., PLIATSIKAS, N., CRANTON, W.M., KOSMIDIS, C., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., LIDORIKIS, E. and PATSALAS, P., 2016. Selective modification of nanoparticle arrays by laser-induced self assembly (MONA-LISA): putting control into bottom-up plasmonic nanostructuring. Nanoscale, 8 (15), pp. 8236-8244. ISSN 2040-3364

TSAKONAS, C., CRANTON, W., LI, F., ABUSABEE, K., FLEWITT, A., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D. and RANSON, R., 2013. Intrinsic photoluminescence from low temperature deposited zinc oxide thin films as a function of laser and thermal annealing. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 46 (9). ISSN 0022-3727

SIOZIOS, A., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., LIDORIKIS, E., DIMITRAKOPULOS, G.P., KEHAGIAS, T., ZOUBOS, H., KOMNINOU, P., CRANTON, W.M., KOSMIDIS, C. and PATSALAS, P., 2012. Optical encoding by plasmon-based patterning: hard and inorganic materials become photosensitive. Nano Letters, 12 (1), pp. 259-263. ISSN 1530-6992

KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., CRANTON, W.M., RANSON, R.M. and THOMAS, C.B., 2009. Performance enhancement of ZnS:Mn thin film electro luminescent devices by combination of laser and thermal annealing. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 483 (12), pp. 526-529.

CRANTON, W., WILSON, S.L., RANSON, R.M., KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., CHI, K., HEDGLEY, R., SCOTT, J., LIPIEC, S., SPILLER, A. and SPEAKMAN, S., 2007. Excimer laser processing of inkjet-printed and sputter-deposited transparent conducting SnO2:Sb for flexible electronics. Thin Solid Films, 515 (24), pp. 8534-8538. ISSN 0040-6090

KOUTSOGEORGIS, D.C., MASTIO, E.A., CRANTON, W.M. and THOMAS, C.B., 2001. Pulsed KrF laser annealing of ZnS:Mn laterally emitting thin film electroluminescent displays. Thin Solid Films, 383 (12), pp. 31-33. ISSN 0040-6090

See all of Demosthenes Koutsogeorgis's publications...

Press expertise

  • Thin film technology
  • Photonic processing
  • Laser processing
  • Laser annealing
  • Laser marking
  • Phosphor thin films
  • Plasmonic thin films
  • Plasmonic nanoparticles
  • Metal oxide electronics