We are pleased to invite UK, EU and international applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship: Improving the thermal and thermo-mechanical reliabilities of MOSFET power electronics for improved performance in electric vehicles from Teesside University’s Centre for Sustainable Engineering.
Project description
Transport is vital to a nation’s economy, in the UK. However, the transportation sector contributed 27% share of the UK’s total emission in 2019. There is an urgent need for transport decarbonisation (TD) if the government will deliver net zero by 2050. The deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) offers promise to actualise the TD agenda. Metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technology is a critical hardware component of power electronics in electric and hybrid vehicles (EV and HEV). Power electronics transfers power efficiently from a source to a load. Accelerated evolution of EV technology drives wider applications of MOSFETs in several systems including power trains, electric power steering, main drive inverters, electric traction inverters, on-board chargers, dc-dc converters, and e-climate compressors. However, increasing space and weight limitations coupled with higher efficiency requirements demand the design, packaging, and assembly of MOSFETs to be investigated with a view to re-engineering for improving size and compactness whilst increasing reliability with reduced higher frequency switching losses for improved energy conversion efficiency.
This project will address this issue directly by investigating the design of a new, compact MOSFET with improved thermal and thermo-mechanical reliabilities. The design will be informed by the knowledge that chips in power electronics, including MOSFETs, generate enormous amounts of heat during operation. Specifically, the proposed research will study the impact of application of several candidate alloys of solder as potential new interconnects, and thermal interface material (TIM) in MOSFET design, on its reliability and performance. Results will be evaluated to develop an overall MOSFET design with improved thermal and thermo-mechanical reliabilities to support EV and HEV sustainability, light weighting, emission reduction, range increase, affordability, performance, and wider adoption.
The supervisor is Dr Chulin Jiang from the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies.
Entry requirements
You should hold or expect to obtain a good honours degree (2:1 or above) in a relevant discipline. A master’s level qualification in a relevant discipline is desirable, but not essential, as well as a demonstrable understanding of the research area.
International applicants should have a standard of English at IELTS 6.5 minimum and will be subject to the standard entry criteria relating to ATAS clearance and, when relevant, UK visa requirements and procedures.
How to apply
Application is online.
Key dates
- Closing date for applications is 5.00pm, 1 February 2023.
- Shortlisting and online interviews are expected to be held mid-March 2023.
- Successful applicants will be expected to start May or October 2023.
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