thin films PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Have you ever wondered about self-cleaning surfaces. an object that cleanse itself just by shining light on it? Such technology already exists, and the field is fast developing.

Computational design of polymer thin films for flexible sensor devices

University of Strathclyde
Department of Chemical and Process Engineering

Dr K Johnston, Dr L Lue

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Ferroelectric (FE) materials offer many useful properties and are employed in various devices, including nonvolatile memory, capacitors, sensors and actuators.

Magnetic Thin Films for Energy Harvesting

Loughborough University
School of Science

Dr K Morrison

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The spin Seebeck effect is a newly discovered phenomenon that manifests as the generation of a spin current when a magnetic material is subjected to a temperature gradient.

Exposing the nanoscale ultrafast dynamics of Dirac systems via near-field terahertz spectroscopy

The University of Manchester
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

Dr J Boland

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

To create energy-efficient, faster ’21st century devices’ that can impact a range of sectors, including healthcare, wireless communication, defence, security and clean energy, integrated photonic, electronic and quantum technologies are essential.

Size effects in pure and alloyed metals under dynamic loading

University of Birmingham
School of Metallurgy & Materials

Dr B. Gurrutxaga-Lerma

Application Deadline: 31 October 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

The strength of metals and metallic alloys is usually thought to be independent of the system’s geometry and dimensions. However, at the micron scale this ceases to be true.

Evaluation of spin-orbit torques in thin film magnetic materials and their use in driving topological structures

University of Exeter
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Prof R Hicken, Dr P.S Keatley

Application Deadline: 31 December 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Joint supervisors. Prof R J Hicken, Dr P S Keatley. External supervisor. Prof K L Livesey (University of Colorado, UCCS). ***. Statement of Research.

Realizing quantum materials with atomically layered helium films

Royal Holloway, University of London
Department of Physics

Prof J Saunders

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Historically the study of helium has played a central role in condensed matter physics.

Fully Funded M2A EngD Scholarship: Development of Molecular Vapor Deposition Methods for High Integrated Battery / Device Systems

Swansea University
College of Engineering

Prof O Guy

Application Deadline: 7 January 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Sponsoring company. SPTS Technologies Ltd. This post will remain open until a suitable candidate is found and we recommend you apply as soon as possible.

The synthesis and photolysis of photoacid generators used in polymer resists for making silicon chips

Aberdeen University
Department of Chemistry

Dr M J Plater, Dr W T A Harrison

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Polymer resists are used as thin films in the manufacture of silicon chips. They are spin coated onto a silicon wafer and irradiated through a pattern in a mask.

Modelling memristive artificial neurons

Loughborough University
School of Science

Prof S Saveliev, Dr P Borisov

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Does the brain operate as a computer? In short the answer is no, but why? We use logic when thinking and coming to a decision by linking events in a causal relationship.