The Sonopill: CMOS sensor technology
University of Glasgow, supervisors: Professor David Cumming and Professor Mike Barrett.
Funding status: Fully funded for 3.5 years for UK and EU students. The studentship is offered as a consequence of a £3.4M EPSRC grant.
Project description
Microelectronics technology has led to a revolution in computer and communication technology that began almost immediately after the transistor was invented. The exponential rate of technological advancement that is described in Moore’s Law has been propelled by $1Tr of investment over 50 years. However CMOS technology, which now dominates the microelectronics industry, has proven itself to be immensely versatile. For example, the digital camera chip that uses silicon photodiodes (PD) is now ubiquitous. More recently CMOS has been exploited to make the large arrays of ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFET) used in the Ion Torrent and Ion Proton Next Generation sequencing systems. Exciting new opportunities now lie in pursuing non-roadmap “More than Moore” technology to discover and exploit the, as yet unfulfilled, potential of CMOS in markets and applications that have historically lain outside the realm of microelectronics.
The Multi-Corder chip must have very broad sensor modalities, from fundamental metabolite detection and quantification, through ligand-binding-based detection thence on to whole organism detection. The sensors we propose to deliver this range of functionality are not purely CMOS, but require both small and large surface features, on the scale of MEMS technology, to interact effectively with the different measurands. Achieving the objective of multi-modality on a single chip will be a major technological challenge in both engineering and biology.
Using CMOS we will design and fabricate a range of detectors that must be functionalised in order to create sensors. We will do this by lithographically surface patterning the CMOS chip surface that we will have prepared with suitable immobilisation chemistries. We will select chemical moieties and use these to prepare new materials, as well as investigating commercially available products.
Funding notes and eligibility requirements
The PhD scholarship will cover tuition fees and an annual stipend of £13,726 over 3.5 years. This PhD project is only funded for Home UK or EU students.
To undertake this research, we are seeking a motivated candidate with a first class degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a cognate discipline.
Some knowledge and experience of VLSI technology, sensors, experimental work and an ability to work effectively with researchers in biology will be necessary.
Exceptionally, we will consider a candidate with a background in biochemistry.
Application Enquiries
Initial informal enquiry about this studentship can be made to Prof. David Cumming (david.cumming.2@glasgow.ac.uk) by sending a detailed CV with examination grades to date. Please include the above project title in the email subject.
To gain admission to our postgraduate programme an application for admission as a postgraduate research student must be made to the Graduate School of the College of Science and Engineering:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/applyonline/
It should be noted that this application is to gain admission to our PGR programme with the decision on this being based on your academic achievements, and an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on this Scholarship is made. Candidates applying for this Scholarship will have their applications further vetted as to acceptability to this Scholarship and will most likely have an interview/discussion with the supervisor before any decision is made.