Tyndall National Institute, based at University College Cork, has partnered with the University of Galway, to land €1.2million in funding through SFI’s Frontiers of the Future Programme.
The collaborative project, titled ‘Pulsed Laser Annealing of 2D Semiconductors for Nanoelectronics’, will research the area of Advanced and Smart Manufacturing, and will aim to substantially increase the scalability, functionality, performance, and energy efficiency of electronic devices while keeping full compatibility with existing mass production technologies.
The project, co-led by principal researchers Dr Ray Duffy, Tyndall National Institute, and Professor Ger O’Connor, University of Galway, will carry out basic and applied research in the area of novel functional materials applicable to active components in sensors, nano- and opto-electronics. These components affect almost all day-to-day consumer devices.
The team’s research will address broad societal challenges, such as improved personalised healthcare, energy harvesting, and connected societies.
Applications will potentially include electronically activated sensors in low-cost smart medical devices, and better performing and longer lasting tech such as smartphones for consumers. This project will work on developing the early stages of the technology to meet these needs.
The project is a collaborative effort, leveraging complementary and interdisciplinary skillsets of co-Principle Investigators in Tyndall and the University of Galway, with Academic Collaborators in the University of Michigan and Imperial College London.
The SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme provides opportunities for independent investigators to conduct highly innovative, collaborative research with the potential to deliver impact, whilst also providing opportunities for high-risk, high-reward research projects.
The programme is significant as it supports world-class research that aims to improve society and economy. The awards fund outstanding people with innovative ideas and strategic partnerships that can demonstrate potential economic impact.
Dr Ray Duffy, principal researcher, project lead, said: “This project consortium is built on the foundation of shared expertise and enthusiastic collaboration of international experts in their complementary scientific fields. The SFI Frontiers for the Future programme has enabled us to assemble a multidisciplinary team which will tackle many grand challenges of this semiconductor material system, with impact in real-world nanoelectronic applications. I am delighted and honoured to be part of this team.”
Prof Ger O’Connor, University of Galway said: “We are truly excited by the opportunity to investigate how extremely short pulses of light, lasting a millionth billionth of second, can precisely re-position atoms in two dimensional materials of just a few monolayers in thickness, to enable new technologies for the benefit of human-kind.”
Senior head of group, EU Programmes, at Tyndall National Institute, Georgios Fagas, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to elaborate on our research programme on 2D materials and their application into future electronic devices. We are very excited to work together with University of Galway on a most challenging issue, which is the quality of the material when grown with large-scale deposition methods. The project brings together first-class expertise to unlock the application potential of 2D semiconductors.”
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