David Carlson received his B.S. in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1963, and his Ph.D. in physics from Rutgers University in 1968. After completing his degree, Dr. Carlson worked as a Research and Development Physicist at the U.S. Army Nuclear Effects Laboratory in 1968 and 1969. In 1970, Dr. Carlson joined RCA Laboratories as a member of the technical staff and worked in the areas of ion motion in glasses and insulators, glow-discharge deposition of films, and thin-film photovoltaic devices.
In 1976, Dr. Carlson and Dr. Christopher Wronski co-invented the hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cell. This development in solar energy led to world-wide efforts in applied and fundamental research of amorphous silicon-based technologies.
In 1983, Dr. Carlson joined the Solarex Corporation as the Deputy General Manager and Director of Research of the Solarex Thin Film Divison. In 1999, Solarex joined with BP to become BP Solarex, and then eventually BP Solar.
Information as of 1986