Ms. Arwa Bint Saud Bin Abdullah Abbas is a spirited, energetic, dynamic, and self-motivated researcher professional with impeccable skill, ambition, and creativity. She is fully determined to continue her impressive track record in science and engineering following the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to rekindle and spread the great and noble virtue of learning that has marked the Arab and Muslim worlds.
Ms. Arwa envisions applying the results of her research and studies to reality to help in advancing technologies in innovative fields such as Nanotechnology, Electronics, Photonics, Space and Aeronautics, and Medicine. As a Saudi woman, she seeks to become a regional leader in her critical and specialized areas. Her mission of dedicating her time intensively toward conducting national research aims to contribute to the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Prior to her Ph.D. study, Ms. Arwa is taking a collaborative program between KACST and KAUST to foster her academic excellence and research experience. Furthermore, by joining KAUST she will gain leverage from the complete set of state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities in order to build competence and capability in nanofabrication. These assets will also support Ms. Arwa’s efforts to ensure the future competitiveness of the Kingdom. With Quality, Integrity, Loyalty, Value, and Respect, Ms. Arwa commits to serve society at a very high level.

Ms. Arwa received her MASc in Mechanical Engineering (Nanotechnology) University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (2013) under the supervision of Professor Mustafa Yavuz from the Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, who is the Director of Nano - and Micro - Systems Lab Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN). As well, Ms. Arwa was supervised by Professor Bo Cui from the Department of Electrical Engineering, who leads the Waterloo Nanofabrication Group and whose research is focused on Nano and microstructure fabrication using Nano-Imprint Lithography (NIL) and electron beam lithography, and thin film deposition and etching with biomedical and Nano electric applications. With gratitude, Ms. Arwa gained a brilliant base of experience from working and studying for over two years under the supervision of Professor Yavuz and Professor Cui.
In early 2014 Ms. Arwa joined the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the National Center for Nanotechnology (NCN) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a Researcher. Next, she joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering lead by Professor Boon S. Ooi. She joined the  Photonics Lab that is managed by Dr. Tien Khee Ng to dedicate her efforts towards national joint projects between KACST and KAUST on Solid State Lighting as KACST visiting researcher. Her research at KAUST focuses on Nanophotonics in the area of subwavelength gratings for optical enhancement. Her work demonstrates metal-insulator-metal (MIM) with subwavelength grating (SWG) functionality as a high transmission grating for applications such as Nanowire GaN LED. Moreover, Ms. Arwa’s research interests include design and characterization of resist for electron-beam lithography, and nanofabrication using electron beam lithography for novel resist and applications. Currently, Arwa is a Ph.D. Student at UC Santa Barbara, USA.

Research Interests

Arwa's research interests included Charged beam lithography: Electron Beam Lithography (EBL), Nanofabrication, Nanophotonics: Sub Wavelength Grating (SWG), GaN LED and Nanowire LED and Nanostructured plasmonic devices based on Extraordinary Optical Transmission (EOT).

Selected Publications

  • A.S Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui, Polycarbonate as an ideal grayscale electron beam resist using diluted cyclopentanone developer. Micro electronic Engineering, Vol. 113, 140-142(2014)
  • A. S. Abbas, MASc thesis, Nanofabrication Using Electron Beam Lithography: Novel Resist and Applications, University of Waterloo, August 2013.
  • C. Con, A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui, Dry Thermal Development of Negative Electron Beam Resist Polystyrene. Advances in Nano Research, Vol.1, No.2 (2013)
  • A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui (2014). Metal nanostructure fabrication by electron beam lithography and dry liftoff, manuscript under preparation.
  • A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui (2014). Water soluble and developable electron beam resist PSS, manuscript under preparation.

 Conference Presentations:

  • C. Con, A.S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. May 2012 - Dry Thermal Development of Negative Electron Beam Resist Poly styrene. EIPBN, 56th International Conference on Electron, Ion and Photon Beam and Nanofabrication, Waikoloa, Hawaii.
  • A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. May 2013 - Polycarbonate as an ideal grayscale Electron Beam Resist using diluted Cyclopentanone Developer. EIPBN, 57th International Conference on Electron, Ion and Photon Beam and Nanofabrication, Nashville, Tennessee.
  • A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. September 2013 - Metal Nanostructure Fabrication by Electron Beam Lithography and Dry Liftoff. 39th International Conference on Micro and Nano Engineering, London, UK.
  • A. S. Abbas, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. September 2013 - Water soluble and developable Electron Beam Resist PSS. 39th International Conference on Micro and NanoEngineering, London, UK.
  • A. S. Abbas, S. Alqarni, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. May 2014 - Organic and Metallic Nanostructure Fabrication by Electron Beam Lithography and Dry Liftoff. EIPBN, 58th International Conference on Electron, Ion and Photon Beam and Nanofabrication, Washington DC, US.
  • A. S. Abbas, S. Alqarni, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. May 2014 - Water Soluble and Developable e-Beam Resist Sodium PSS, EIPBN 58th International Conference on Electron, Ion and Photon Beam and Nanofabrication, Washington DC, US.
  • A. S. Abbas, S. Alqarni, Babak B. Shokouhi, M. Yavuz and B. Cui. August 2014 - Metal and Organic Nanostructure Fabrication by Electron Beam Lithography and Dry Liftoff. The 14th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Education Profile

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of California, Santa Barbara, United States of America (in progress).
  • MASC in Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada (2013).

Awards and Distinctions

  • April 2007 - Award of King Abdulaziz for Scientific Novelty.
  • January 2010 - King Abdullah Scholarship-Awarded to Students with high Academic Average.
  • June 2012 - Distinction Award from the Saudi Cultural Bureau in Canada- Awarded to Students with high Academic Average.
  • July 2012 - Distinction Award from the Saudi Cultural Bureau in Canada – Awarded to Students with high Academic Average. 
  • September 2013 - Distinction Award from the Saudi Cultural Bureau in Canada – Awarded to Students with high Academic Average.