Scholarships Merit-based
Swansea University

Electronic and Electrical Engineering: Fully Funded PhD at Swansea: Gate-oxide reliability

View relevant PhDs
Multiple disciplines
Disciplines
18622 GBP
Grant
United Kingdom
Location
01 May 2024
Application deadline

About

Swansea University offers a number of awards for students pursuing PhD, MPhil, MRes or Master's by Research studies.

Overview

Scholarship type

Merit based

Number of scholarships to award

Multiple

Grant

Full tuition waiver + £18,622

Scholarship coverage

  • tuition fee reduction
  • other

Description

The wide bandgap (WBG) power MOSFET is more prone to early failure than its Si counterparts despite its recent success. One of the most significant contributing factors to the overall reliability of these devices is degradation or even complete failure of the gate oxide. Specifically, gate threshold voltages shift from their original value with prolonged application, mainly due to gate oxide thickness reduction and high electric fields.

The goal of this project is to a) study and examine the failure mechanisms of WBG (particularly gallium nitride) devices, b) compare different methodologies for predicting or modelling the gate-oxide reliability of WBG power MOSFETs and identify the gap for both offline reliability and lifetime estimation and possible online condition monitoring from transistor signals, c) design, simulate and practically implement the required circuit configuration and the final multi-channel test rig for concurrent reliability testing and examining the failure mechanisms, d) develop conventional statistical approaches and artificial intelligence (AI) models from data provided by testing a large number of samples under controlled conditions to validate and generalise the research findings and e) recommend future work to implement the realised improvements.

Applicable programmes

Benefits

This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £18,622 for 2023/24).

Additional research expenses will also be available.

Eligibility

  • Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check their comparison entry requirements.
  • Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations. 

Scholarship requirements

Disciplines

Multiple disciplines

Locations

United Kingdom

Nationality

Any

Study experience required

Master

Age

Unknown

Application

Application deadline

01 May 2024

To apply, please complete your application online with the following information:

Course choice – please select Electronic and Electrical Engineering / PhD / Full-time / 3 Years / July (or October)

Start year – please select 2024

Funding (page 8) –

‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select No

‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter ‘RS563 - Gate-oxide reliability’

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

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