David Ashby Email and Phone Number

Oversees the electrochemical design team for emerging solid-state battery technologies in electric vehicles.

Designed and oversaw design of experiments to understand and improve cell performance and safety

• Participated in weekly, cross-functional teams to evaluate materials and address root cause failures to meet project milestones.• Supported development of electroplated metal and composite coatings for tribological applications.• Assessed the viability and efficiency of chemical and surface processes for internal and subcontracted manufacturing output.• Advanced technologically processes to enhance product performance through adaptive material selection, protective finishes, and non-destructive evaluation.• Evaluated the viability of conversion cathode slurries and corresponding electrolytes under varying environmental conditions for use in Li+ cells for defense applications (99% capacity, >10 cycles).• Established process using electronic characterization and imaging (EBIC) for identifying and characterizing TID and displacement in irradiated MOS and FinFET dielectrics.

• Acted as student-thrust lead in a DOE EFRC, containing 20+ multidisciplinary principle investigators. • Performed ad hoc analysis and testing of materials provided through external collaborations. • Designed a high energy, multidimensional microbattery (3.7mWh cm-2 at 2.8mW cm-2) for incorporation with a solution-processable, solid electrolyte. • Developed process for fabricating and characterizing thin-film, Li+ solid-electrolytes for high-voltage batteries.• Collaborated in a multidisciplinary project for integration of a flexible, tandem solar cell-battery device into LA County architectures.

• Developed a high-bonding, Co-Re intermetallic plating process for polymer additive-manufactured, micro-truss structures to use in high temperature, sandwich-core structures for aerospace applications: assessed the mechanical properties, failure mechanism, and corrosion resistance at RT to 1400oC.• Created pack-cementation process for corrosion resistance of complex geometries.

• Identified high-energy nucleation sites during Zn electrodeposition using in-situ AFM analysis and COMSOL Multiphysics modeling in regard to suppressing dendritic growth in Zn batteries.