Szu-yuan Chen

• Laser-plasma physics and applications
• Light-controlled materials fabrication and applications in energy and optoelectronics
• Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, therapeutic cancer vaccine

The Light-Controlled Materials Fabrication and Application Laboratory led by Dr. Szu-yuan Chen is currently conducting research in four areas. The first area is in collaboration with Prof. Chung-Jen Tseng of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Energy at National Central University to develop polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Past research focused on improving catalyst layers composed of stacked Pt nanoparticles deposited using pulsed laser deposition. Current research aims to improve solution-phase deposited Pt nanoparticle catalyst layers with catalyst support structures using lasers and to apply these to both low-temperature and high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. The second area is in collaboration with Prof. Sheng-Wei Lee of the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering at National Central University to develop solid oxide fuel cells. Previous research has focused on using pulsed laser deposition and spontaneous phase separation to significantly improve the cathode/electrolyte interface area and quality, thereby significantly increasing current density. They have also developed a method using paper fibers as pore-forming agents for the anode substrate and using electrophoresis to fill surface pores to significantly improve gas transport rate and supporting pulsed laser deposition, thus significantly increasing cell current density. Currently, research is underway to use pulsed laser deposition and pulsed laser annealing to manufacture cathode catalyst layers with further improved performance. The third area involves collaboration with Prof. Ming-Wei Lin of the Department of Engineering and Systems Science and the Institute of Nuclear Engineering at National Tsing Hua University to develop germanium-tin-based mid-infrared optoelectronic devices and silicon photonics on silicon substrates. Previously, using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition platform of their own design, they developed a technique for depositing high-quality germanium and germanium-tin thin films on silicon substrates using chloride precursors and successfully fabricated high-performance germanium detectors using this technique. Currently, they are developing mid-infrared photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and diode lasers based on germanium-tin thin films to extend to longer wavelengths. The fourth area involves collaboration with Prof. Meng-Jiy Wang of the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology to develop tissue engineering techniques. Previously, they developed a method using extrinsic photobiological modulation combined with collagen microislands to achieve a universally applicable way for inducing mesenchymal stem cell differentiation without the need for any specialized chemical factors. Currently, they are developing laser control methods to improve the structure, function, and reliability of induced pluripotent stem cells generated from somatic cells, organoids generated from pluripotent stem cells, and 3D bio-printed organs.

• B.S., 1991, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
• Ph.D., 1998, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, USA

• Research Fellow, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, USA (1998 Dec. ~ 1999 Nov.)
• Assistant Research Fellow, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (1999 Dec. ~ 2005 Mar.)
• Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (2005 Mar. ~ 2009 Mar.)
• Research Fellow, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (2009 Mar. ~)
• Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Physics, National Central University, Jhong-li, Taiwan (2004 Sep. ~ 2010 Sep.)
• Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics, National Central University, Jhong-li, Taiwan (2010 Sep. ~ )

• Academia Sinica Research Award for Junior Researchers, Academia Sinica, Taiwan (2006)
• Da-You Wu Memorial Award, National Science Council, Taiwan (2009)