£1.9m fellowship to scale next-generation 2D materials technologies
Professor Roman Gorbachev at the University of Manchester received a £1.9 million EPSRC Open Fellowship to lead a five-year project scaling van der Waals 2D material heterostructures from micrometre samples to wafer-scale fabrication using a new ultra-high vacuum platform. The work directly advances graphene and 2D materials manufacturing by targeting industrial-process compatibility and establishing a UK fabrication hub accessible to academic and industry users.
The University of Manchester has secured a £1.9 million EPSRC Open Fellowship to advance the scaling up of 2D materials technologies, crucial for future electronic and quantum devices. Professor Roman Gorbachev, from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Graphene Institute, will lead the five-year project titled “Future van der Waals Nanotechnologies.” The initiative aims to establish capabilities for producing high-quality 2D material heterostructures at wafer scale, facilitating applications in electronics, quantum technologies, and telecommunications.
Two-dimensional materials present opportunities for designing electronic and optical devices with enhanced functionality. However, scaling these systems beyond laboratory prototypes remains a challenge. This fellowship will focus on developing technologies to bridge this gap and enable broader practical applications.
Currently, van der Waals heterostructures are engineered with high precision but are limited to micrometre-scale samples. The project seeks to overcome this by developing fabrication methods for millimetre and wafer scales, ensuring consistent device performance and compatibility with industrial processes.
A central aspect of the programme is the creation of a new ultra-high vacuum fabrication platform to prevent contamination between layers during assembly. This builds on recent advancements from Professor Gorbachev’s group, including the development of ultra-clean heterostructures using bespoke instrumentation.
The fellowship will also establish a UK-based “2D Material Electronics” hub, offering advanced fabrication capabilities to academic and industrial users. By integrating materials growth with device development, the initiative aims to accelerate progress in low-power electronics, neuromorphic computing, and quantum technologies.
This project builds on sustained research, with recent publications in renowned journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Nanotechnology, and Nature Electronics. These studies highlight ongoing work in nanofabrication, electronic and optical properties of 2D materials, and their integration into device architectures.
Professor Gorbachev, with 20 years of experience in graphene and 2D materials research, has over 100 peer-reviewed publications. His contributions to instrumentation and techniques are utilized by research groups globally.
The project will support a multidisciplinary team of researchers and technical specialists, fostering collaborations across the UK and internationally. By developing scalable fabrication methods and strengthening links between fundamental research and application, the programme aims to advance 2D materials development and their integration into emerging technologies.
Source: Graphene Feed