Industrial funded PhD Studentship - Development of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides through vapo

Applications are invited for an industrially funded PhD Studentship to be filled as soon as possible. This scholarship will fund students for their tuition fees, a bursary to cover living expenses and a Research Training Support Grant for research consumables and conference attendance. This role will be based at the Optoelectronics Research Centre within the Zepler Institute and will use state-of-the-art facilities at the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre.

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

PhD Description: 

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), such as MoS2, WS2, MoSe2 and WSe2, have become promising complementary materials to graphene sharing many of its attributes. They may however offer properties that are unattainable in graphene, in particular TMDCs offer a bandgap tunable through both composition and number of layers. This has led to use of TMDCs in applications such as transistors, photodetectors, electroluminescent and bio-sensing devices. The current challenge in this emerging research field is to provide a reliable process to fabricate large area of atomically thin 2D TMDCs on the desired substrate. 

Vapour phase deposition, such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD)1, Van der Waals Epitaxy (VdWE)2 and atomic layer deposition (ALD)3, has the advantages of offering conformal, scalable, and controllable thin film growth on a variety of different substrates. In this PhD project, we will work closely with Industrial partner to develop these emerging 2D TMDCs materials through novel vapour phase deposition processes with metal organic precursors provided by the Industrial partner. The Company will also provide mentoring, time in their laboratory facilities and team building activities with other PhD students they support.

This project will require a highly interdisciplinary approach, using a wide range of techniques including, thin film deposition processes, materials characterization and device fabrication. Enthusiastic candidates with practical experience in one or more of these disciplines are encouraged to apply and for the successful candidate, tuition in new techniques will be provided. 

References.

1. C.C. Huang, F. Al-Saab, Y. Wang, J.Y. Ou, J.C. Walker, S. Wang, B. Gholipour, R.E. Simpson, D.W. Hewak, “Scalable high-mobility MoS2 thin films fabricated by an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process at ambient temperature”, Nanoscale, 2014 Vol.6(21) pp.12792-12797.

2. V. Orsi Gordo, M.A.G.  Balanta, Y. Galvão Gobato, F. S. Covre, F. Iikawa, O. Couto Jr, Fanyao Qu, H. V. A. Galeti, M. Henini, D. W. Hewak and C. C. Huang, “Revealing the nature of low-temperature photoluminescence peaks by laser treatment in Van der Waals Epitaxially grown large-scale WS2 monolayers”, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 4807.

3. Ioannis Zeimpekis, Nikolaos Aspiotis, Katrina A Morgan, Chung-Che Huang and Daniel W Hewak “Wafer Scale Pre-Patterned ALD MoS2 FETs”, MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, 26 Nov - 1 Dec 2017.

The project is funded for 3.5 years and welcomes applicants from the UK and EU who have or expect to obtain at least an upper second class degree in Chemistry, Materials or related disciplines. Funding will cover fees and a stipend at current research council rates (2018-19) of £18,000 per annum.

 

Due to funding restrictions this position is only open to UK/EU applicants who meet RCUK eligibility criteria

Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact Dr Kevin Huang (cch@soton.ac.uk) directly for further details.

More information on the Optoelectronics Research Centre and the Zepler Institute can be accessed at: 

http://www.orc.soton.ac.uk

http://www.zeplerinstitute.ac.uk

Any queries on the application process should be made to orcadmis@soton.ac.uk.