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Professor Neil Beattie

Professor

Department: Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering

I am a Professor of Energy Innovation and the Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU).

Before joining Northumbria University in 2009, I completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge (Cavendish Laboratory) in 2005. This work was sponsored by Toshiba (EPSRC CASE award) and was in the field of semiconductor devices for quantum information. Following my PhD, I worked as an Innovation Consultant from 2005-2009 on behalf of clients including Shell, P&G, Rolls-Royce and Boeing.

At Northumbria University, I belong to the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering and in 2013/14 led the launch of complete new undergraduate provision in physics. These programmes now have over a hundred graduates and are accredited by the Institute of Physics.

My research is in the area of photovoltaics and in 2017, together with colleagues in the region, we created the EPSRC-ISCF North East Centre for Energy Materials (NECEM). This brought together a coherent base of research excellence in energy materials and systems and was a key element in securing Northumbria University's first EPSRC CDT.

The combination of my academic track record and industrial experience has allowed me to develop specialism in strategic research leadership and innovation. I am now using these skills to establish and lead Energy Futures - a diverse and inclusive community of academics across different disciplines at Northumbria University with the common aim of decarbonisation through research impact.

 

Neil Beattie

Campus Address

Ellison Building



I have a background in semiconductor physics and have applied this to the field of photovoltaics (PV). In particular I now specialise in solution-processed inorganic thin film PV using materials such as Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4. At Northumbria University, we have distictive materials fabrication capability that allows us to make thin film solar cells from substrates such as glass and foils through to the photovoltaic absorber, charge transport layers and electrical contacts. In addition to complete device fabrication, we also use a wide range of materials characterisation techniques to understand fundamental physics and engineering relating to defects, interfaces and optoelectronic behaviour. In 2019, I was awarded an EPSRC Adventurous Manufacturing grant (EP/T005491/1) to assess the feasibility of creating a transformative new sub-field, Product Integrated Photovoltaics. This has allowed me to perform research into manufacturing techniques and develop new capabilities at Northumbria University.

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Correction to “Crystalline Antimony Selenide Thin Films for Optoelectronics through Photonic Curing”, Wijesinghe, U., Tetlow, W., Maiello, P., Fleck, N., O'Dowd, G., Beattie, N., Longo, G., Hutter, O. 10 Dec 2024, In: Chemistry of Materials
  • Crystalline Antimony Selenide Thin Films for Optoelectronics through Photonic Curing, Wijesinghe, U., Tetlow, W., Maiello, P., Fleck, N., O'Dowd, G., Beattie, N., Longo, G., Hutter, O. 25 Jun 2024, In: Chemistry of Materials
  • Ecodesign of kesterite nanoparticles for thin film photovoltaics at laboratory scale, Jones, M., Willis, B., Campbell, S., Kartopu, G., Maiello, P., Punathil, P., Cheung, W., Woolley, E., Jones, L., Oklobia, O., Holland, A., Barrioz, V., Zoppi, G., Beattie, N., Qu, Y. 5 Aug 2024, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
  • Inkjet Printed Top Contacts for Sustainable Solar Cells, Rigby, O., Willis, B., Punathil, P., Kartopu, G., Naylor, M., van der Vlauten, M., Aninat, R., Gevaerts, V., Barrioz, V., Zoppi, G., Beattie, N. 9 Jun 2024, 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), IEEE
  • Laser Patterning of thin Film Solar Cells for Building-Integrated PV, Kartopu, G., Sezer, H., Vernon, J., Punathil, P., Ohashi, T., Hidaka, T., Minemoto, T., Woolley, E., Willis, B., Barrioz, V., Zoppi, G., Beattie, N. 9 Jun 2024, 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), IEEE
  • Short-Term Load Forecasting using Machine Learning for Decarbonisation and Cost-Reduction in a Water Network-based Power System, Duggal, D., Wu, H., Beattie, N., Browne, A. 28 Aug 2024, 2024 International Symposium on Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering (ISEEIE), Piscataway, US, IEEE
  • Soft-Baking Optimization in CU2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Absorbers Prepared from Nanoparticle Inks, Jones, M., Campbell, S., Beattie, N., Zoppi, G., Barrioz, V., Qu, Y. 9 Jun 2024, 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), IEEE
  • Using Life Cycle Assessment to Improve the Sustainability of Laboratory Synthesis of Chalcogenide Nanoparticles for Thin Film Photovoltaics, Willis, B., Jones, M., Campbell, S., Kartopu, G., Punathil, P., Cheung, W., Woolley, E., Jones, L., Barrioz, V., Zoppi, G., Qu, Y., Beattie, N. 9 Jun 2024, 2024 IEEE 52nd Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), IEEE
  • A comparison of ZnO nanowires grown using hexamethylenetetramine and ammonium hydroxide on Al:ZnO nanoparticle seed layer, Matheson, E., Qu, Y., Kartopu, G., Etherington, M., Zoppi, G., Barrioz, V., Beattie, N. 26 Jul 2023, In: Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics
  • A structural, optical and electrical comparison between physical vapour deposition and slot-die deposition of Al:ZnO (AZO), Matheson, E., Xu, X., Qu, Y., Zoppi, G., Barrioz, V., Beattie, N. 1 Jun 2023, In: MRS Advances

  • Bethany Willis The Manufacturing and Life Cycle Assessment of Novel Photovoltaic Devices Start Date: 01/10/2022
  • Ewan Matheson Structural and optical properties of solution processed ZnO nanostructures. Start Date: 01/10/2019

ESPRC CDT in ReNU:

https://renu.northumbria.ac.uk

@CDT_ReNU

 

Photovoltaics Research Group:

https://sites.google.com/view/nupv/home

@NUPV_Research

 

Energy Futures

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/changing-challenging-world/mdrt-energy-futures/

 

Google Scholar Profile

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KC5LApMAAAAJ&hl=en

  • Other Qualification December 01 2014
  • Education PCAPL June 03 2011
  • Physics PhD October 01 2000
  • Physics BSc (Hons) October 01 1996
  • Fellow (FHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2014
  • Member Institute of Physics (IOP) 2014


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