PhD in Electrical Engineering - 2D semiconductor devices for low-power digital and AI applications

About the Project

Start date: Flexible between October 2026 and January 2027

Project summary

AI’s energy demands are growing at an unprecedented rate, leading to a predicted sixfold increase in data centre energy usage within the next 10 years. Reducing the energy consumption of the digital transistor technology at the heart of AI and digital systems is paramount to enable the ongoing scaling of AI technology. 2D materials, so called because of their atom-thin structure, are targeted to replace silicon in future digital electronics and enable a predicted 90% reduction in energy consumption in computing and AI systems. This PhD will develop advanced digital transistor prototype devices using a range of 2D materials, including graphene, MoS2 etc to meet these reduced energy consumption requirements while delivering enhanced performance. This work will be part of the EPSRC Programme Grant entitled "Enabling Net Zero and the AI Revolution with Ultra-Low Energy 2D Materials and Devices".

Research objectives

You will investigate one or more of the following themes:

• Evaluation of emerging 2D materials such as GaSe and InSe to inspect their electrical properties and potential for digital device production.
• Advanced transistor device architecturesto maximise efficiency and reduce energy consumption per device.
• Technology scaling down to nm dimensionsto increase device density and further increase efficiency and power usage.
• Advanced characterisation using a range of electrical, physical and chemical analysis techniques e.g. SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, Raman and electrical measurement for digital device and power benchmarking.

Methodology

You will combine semiconductor material evaluation, device fabrication and use a range of characterisation techniques. The project offers access to the state‑of‑the‑art cleanroom facilities provided by the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/jwnc/) and advanced characterisation tools through the Centre for Advanced Electronics (https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cae/).

Training and environment

You will join a multidisciplinary team working at the interface of device physics, chemistry and semiconductor device engineering. The project includes opportunities for collaboration with the various project industry partners and for presenting at major international conferences.

Candidate profile

We welcome applicants with a background in:

• Electronic engineering, physics, materials science, or related fields
• Semiconductor devices or 2D materials
• Device fabrication and measurement is beneficial but not required

How to Apply: Please refer to the following website for details on how to apply:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/.

Funding Notes

The studentship is supported by EPSRC, and it will cover home tuition fees and provide a stipend at the UKRI rate for 3.5 years (£21,805 for session 2026/27).