Replacing Si with 2D materials by developing the technique to dope them

Supervisory Team: Yasir Noori

Project description:

Our vision is to encourage the semiconductor industry to adopt 2D materials into their manufacturing pipelines and integrate them into 2 nm node transistor technologies for data communications, computing and sensing. However, one major obstacle that hinders industries from adopting 2D materials is doping them via a scalable and controllable doping technique. This PhD aims to solve the doping problem.

We are looking for an exceptional candidate to join our team to develop a novel technique to dope transition metal dichalcogenides and investigate their commercial potential by working with our industrial partners, Intel, Graphenea and Grolltex.

You will develop unconventional and novel techniques to dope 2D materials at wafer scales and integrate them into advanced transistor architectures using our state-of-the-art cleanroom facility. You will also characterise the doped materials, test their transistor performance and evaluate your results against simulated devices. You will also collaborate with leading research groups in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and 2D materials from Imperial College, University of Cambridge and UCL.

The research will be based in the School of Electronics and Computer Science and have access to one of the largest University cleanrooms in Europe and several material and electronic characterisation suites. In other words, you will undertake a concept from inception to design, simulation, manufacturing and testing.

The PhD programme

A Southampton-based PhD comprises a solid education for a research career. The structured first year involves attending our training programme running in parallel with carrying out your research project. This provides a smooth transition from your degree course towards the more open-ended research that takes place in the following years under the guidance of your supervisors. We expect the vast majority of our students to present their work at international conferences and to write papers in leading academic journals as their research progresses. Students will emerge from the PhD with skills at the forefront of future semiconductor research and will benefit from many opportunities to interact with a vibrant community of PhD students and researchers across the Southampton Campus.

Entry Requirements

You are expected to have achieved, or close to achieving, a 1^st class or 2:1 honours degree or their international equivalent in Engineering, Physics or Materials Science.

Closing date: 31 October 2024. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Start date: Between March and December 2025

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships. For more information please visit PhD Scholarships nearmejobs.eu Doctoral College nearmejobs.eu University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk)Select programme type (Research), 2025/26, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD Elect & Elect Eng (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Yasir Noori

Applications should include:

Research Proposal

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk