PhD scholarships
PhD scholarship: Compound semiconductor manufacturing supply chain sustainability and resiliency
This is a fully funded PhD with tuition fees and stipend for 3.5 years at £19,237 per annum.
Project description
This PhD project will support The Compound Semiconductor (CS) Manufacturing Hub for a Sustainable Future, based at ºù«Ӱҵ University Management School, led by Professor Lenny Koh. The Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub for a Sustainable Future is 1 of 5 new hubs aiming to address the challenge of commercialising early-stage research within key areas of manufacturing funded by and industry and launched in May 2024. In addition to being part of the research community at University of ºù«Ӱҵ, the researcher will join the CS Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) community and will work closely with the Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the CS Hub.
The CS hub aims to capitalise on the huge opportunity of compound semiconductor manufacturing, as identified in the UK’s national semiconductor strategy. Researchers will develop energy-efficient opto-electronics for use in key emerging technologies such as quantum. We will expand on the environmental benefits of compound semiconductors by creating new devices such as mercury-free ‘night vision’ mid-infrared detector arrays and devices that both communicate and illuminate based on integrated transistors and LEDs.
The CS Hub is led from Cardiff University, with spokes at the University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, University of ºù«Ӱҵ, and University College London. We have >30 industrial partners participating in the CS Hub by providing resources, time and expertise.
We also have strong links with colleagues in other Hubs, particularly the Future Advanced Metrology Hub and the Future Photonics Hub. These links support and complement our CS research, and facilitate larger investments for promising, cross-cutting feasibility studies.
Almost all products and devices on the planet and in space are powered by semiconductor or compound semiconductor, directly or indirectly. The AI, electronic and cyber future will further exacerbate this dependency. This PhD project aims to develop new model and novel methodology to situate the compound semiconductor manufacturing supply chain from lab to x. This will focus on the process of enabling fundamental research through wafer, device and integrated chip manufacturing into prototyping, reliability testing and system qualification. It will extend to pilot and industrial scale manufacturing and application cases e.g. aerospace, healthcare, telecommunication etc. Advanced scenario models will be developed to assess and predict their environmental sustainability, resiliency and techno-economic performance based on their integrated functionality. Combined prospective spatial hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA), manufacturing supply chain mapping, environmental sustainability and resiliency measurement, and techno-economic analysis of compound semiconductor manufacturing will be conducted. The new model will capture the transition towards future sustainable and resilient manufacturing for compound semiconductor from lab to x, whilst the novel methodology will capture the steps required to build a secured world.
Our work aims to radically boost the uptake and application of CS technology by applying the manufacturing approaches of Silicon to CS. It exploits the highly advantageous electronic, magnetic, optical and power-handling properties of CS while utilising the cost and scaling advantage of Silicon technology where suitable. And it generates novel integrated functionality, such as sensing, data processing and communication. Our researchers have a track record in innovation and impact, complementary technical capability and the individual skill sets that can combine to create new solutions to the identified major scientific challenges in manufacturing.
Follow the instructions linked below to apply.
Application deadline: 15 November 2024
Lead supervisor
For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Lenny Koh.
Management School PhD scholarship
The Management School funded PhD scholarships for a full-time or part-time student for 2024-25 have now closed. Information on this scholarship can be found below.
The scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis. Applications are assessed on academic success and qualifications, experience, research background, a clear well-articulated, fully-developed research proposal which contributes to knowledge or society and a good match with supervisor expertise.
This scholarship provides the following funding:
- Fees: Full payment of tuition fees across the course of study at the Home or International rate.
- Maintenance/stipend: Paid at the basic UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25), the stipend will be paid quarterly in advance.
- Research Training Support Grant: £7,250 per funded year. Restrictions apply to the use of these funds and there must be a clear connection to supporting the research project.
The above will be pro-rated for a part-time student.
University-funded scholarships
Applications for scholarships for 2024-25 entry have closed. Details regarding scholarships for 2025-26 entry will be available in due course.
Awards will cover tuition fees and a stipend at the UKRI rate (£19,237 in 2024-25). Please consult with your chosen department as to whether funding will cover only Home tuition fees or the full International fee, and what support is available for research costs.
These scholarships are funded by Research, Partnerships and Innovation for up to three and a half years full-time or seven years part-time study, subject to satisfactory progress. Part-time studentships are paid at 50% of the full-time rate.
Read about the University of ºù«Ӱҵ Research Scholarships
Eligibility
- You should have, or expect to achieve, a first or upper second class UK honours degree or equivalent, and meet any other entry requirements stipulated by your chosen department.
- You should be applying to start your first year of study on a full-time or part-time PhD in the 2024/25 academic year.
All applicants are required to submit a study application via the Postgraduate Online Application Form.
Further information
If you have any questions about scholarships please see our FAQs or email pgr-scholarships@sheffield.ac.uk.
Externally-funded scholarships
There are several scholarships available to applicants, which include:
- PhD Research Council Scholarships - these include scholarships awarded by:
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- These scholarship awards are awarded to UK and international students wishing to start in October 2025. The current round of the competition will provide the following awards:
- WRDTP Pathway Awards
- WRDTP Advanced Quantitative Methods Awards
- WRDTP Advanced Data Analytics (ADA) awards
- To be considered for this award applicants will need to have secured an offer (conditional or unconditional) to study for a PhD in the academic year 2025-26 by the 22 January 2025.
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- These scholarship awards include projects which fall within the scope of Arts and Humanities and are awarded to UK and international students. To be considered for this award, you need to have a PhD offer by the Management School by the 22 January 2025.
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- China Scholarship Council
- This scheme provides academically excellent Chinese students with the opportunity to study for a PhD at the University of ºù«Ӱҵ. The scholarships are supported jointly by the China Scholarship Council and the University of ºù«Ӱҵ.
- ºù«Ӱҵ will fund tuition fees for 3.5 years. Students are expected to submit their thesis within this period. CSC will fund a grant for living costs for up to 4 years, and one return flight from China to the UK.
- All scholarship applications are made through PG Online. To be eligible for this scheme, applicants require an unconditional study offer from the University of ºù«Ӱҵ.
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- The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Commonwealth PhD scholarships contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental impact. They also enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries.
- Commonwealth PhD scholarships are for high-quality graduates who have the potential to undertake world-class research of a developmental nature and to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries.
- Please read the terms and conditions carefully and to ensure they meet the full eligibility criteria as stated in the terms and conditions. Not all Commonwealth countries are eligible.
- To be considered for this award applicants will need to have secured an unconditional offer to study for a PhD in the academic year 2025-2026 by the 22 January 2025.
What's included and how they're awarded
The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. Applications are assessed on academic success and qualifications, experience, research background, a clear well-articulated research proposal, the potential impact of the research and a good match with supervisor/School/Faculty expertise.
How to apply
- In order to be considered for a scholarship you must firstly apply for a place to study, via the Postgraduate Online Application System.
- Submit the scholarship application: Once you have completed step 1, or if you already have an offer to study with us, you should log into your postgraduate application and complete the additional scholarship section.
Please note: It is essential that you apply for the scholarship that is most suited to your project and circumstances, once the deadline has passed it is not possible to change this. If you are unsure about which scholarship to apply for, please contact sums-pgr@sheffield.ac.uk.
We encourage you to reach out to prospective supervisors to help refine your application and research proposal, you can use our Find A Supervisor tool or look through the staff profiles.
If you have any questions about scholarships please see our FAQs or email pgr-scholarships@sheffield.ac.uk.