Dr Ruy Sebastian Bonilla - University of Oxford

Dr Bonilla’s research aims to understand the interfaces between electronic materials, to develop new processing for advanced nanolayer materials, and to apply them to new and improved electronic, optical, electrochemical, and quantum devices. Applied interface materials are crucial to the operation of all electron devices. As sizes shrink, charge transport primarily occurs at materials’ interfaces, and the interface properties become the limiting factor governing device operation. Dr Bonilla focuses on the transport of electronic and ionic charges at and across interfaces, which are fundamental to the operation of most devices, from solar cells to transistors and solid-state qubits. There is a whole new area of science and engineering based on advanced interface materials for applied optoelectronic and energy devices. A major finding of his work is the first report of stable and controllable K ion-charged oxide nanolayers which can be exploited in electronic device architectures. He has also contributed to the original understanding of Si–SiO₂ and Si–TiOx interfaces, and demonstrated world record electrical characteristics on silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and amorphous silicon interfaces applied to solar cell devices.