PhD in Electrical Engineering - Advanced Gallium Nitride (GaN) HEMT Development for RF Power Electronics

About the Project

Start date: Flexible between October 2026 and January 2027

Project summary

Gallium Nitride (GaN) High‑Electron‑Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) are transforming RF and power electronics due to their high breakdown field, fast switching, and exceptional power density. However, next‑generation RF systems—ranging from 5G/6G, radar and voltage conversion in data centres—demand further improvements in device reliability, thermal performance, and high‑frequency operation. This PhD will develop prototype, novel GaN HEMT structures to overcome these limitations and push device performance beyond the current state of the art.

Research objectives

You will investigate one or more of the following themes:

• Novel device architectures to enhance high power and high frequency operation.
• Extreme environmental operationfor application in space and terrestrial technologies with extreme temperature and radiation exposure.
• Thermal management using diamond integration strategies to mitigate self‑heating in high‑power RF operation.
• Optimised ohmic contact technologies to reduce contact resistance and improve RF performance.
• Advanced characterisation of electrical, thermal, high voltage and RF behaviour, including S‑parameters, breakdown, and dynamic operation.

Methodology

You will combine semiconductor fabrication, electrical/RF measurement, thermal analysis. 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, semiconductor device engineering, and power electronics. The project includes opportunities for collaboration with 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, RF systems, or power electronics
• 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/.