Postdoctoral Research Associate in Advanced Electrical Analysis and/or Device Fabrication of Wide and Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors

The role

Applications are invited for the role of Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Device Thermography and Reliability (CDTR), led by Professor Martin Kuball.

We are looking for a candidate with prior expertise in electrical characterization of semiconductor electronic devices, ideally in reliability analysis. This role encompasses the advanced electrical characterization and reliability study of wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor materials and devices, including GaN and Gallium Oxide. You will have the opportunity to work with unique device structures including graded channel and multi-channel GaN RF HEMTs, as well as state-of-the-art GaN power devices. You will have access to an extensive electrical device testing suite available in Bristol, and will be supported by our 35-member research team as well as our industrial partners spanning the semiconductor supply chain. In addition, you will be able to collaborate with team members across the areas of thermal and electric field analysis of devices to link to your electrical reliability studies, and have access to simulation tools (Silvaco Victory/ATLAS, ANSYS).

The CDTR leads the £11M UKRI Innovation and Knowledge Centre REWIRE, a strategic national centre aimed at transforming next generation wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductor power electronics, and partners numerous European Space Agency (ESA) and DARPA programmes on high frequency, high power RF electronics. This position benefits from the Chair in Emerging Technologies awarded to Professor Kuball by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in 2020, and access to state-of-the-art cleanroom and semiconductor growth (Ga2O3 MOCVD, diamond CVD) and device packaging facilities. You will have the opportunity to make a major impact on future semiconductor device technology. 

What will you be doing?

You will conduct research to advance wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor materials device technologies and its understanding.

Responsibilities include the electrical characterization and reliability study of wide and ultra-wide bandgap materials and devices and developing device simulation TCAD models to complement experiments when needed.

You will also contribute to managing our thermal characterization laboratory, advise junior group members and support short term industrial contract.

You should apply if

• Postgraduate (PhD) in Physics, Materials Science or Engineering, or be working towards one, or equivalent professional qualification/experience.
• Ideally with a good publication record.
• Experience required in advanced electrical characterization of wide/ultrawide bandgap devices.
• Desirable experience in interfacing and automation of lab equipment using Labview or similar, TCAD simulation and physics-based modelling and cleanroom device processing.
• A willingness to work together with, and co-supervise, PhD students is necessary.

Additional information

Contract type: Open-ended with fixed funding until 31/03/2028

Work pattern: Full-Time, 35 hours per week

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 13/05/2026

Interviews will be held on 28/05/2026

For informal queries, please contact: (not applications) to Professor M. Kuball, martin.kuball@bristol.ac.uk, tel +44(0)117 928 8734.

The job title in the University of Bristol is known as Research Associate

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