Robert O’Connor

Dr. Robert O’Connor is an Assistant Professor at the School of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University (DCU), specializing in interface chemistry and thin film characterization. His work bridges semiconductor physics and energy harvesting technologies, with a focus on materials like high-κ dielectrics and III-V substrates.

• BSc in Applied Physics (2001), DCU
• PhD in Semiconductor Physics (2005), DCU

His research employs X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) to study material interfaces in devices such as MOSFETs and photoelectrochemical systems. He leads a 4-year SFI-funded project on solar water splitting for hydrogen fuel and collaborates with Trinity College Dublin (SPOKE project) and IMEC, Belgium on area-selective deposition techniques. His lab utilizes a state-of-the-art integrated ALD-XPS tool.

His scientific awards include the Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship, Irish Research Council EMBARK Fellowship, and SFI TIDA Award. Publications span high-κ dielectrics, self-assembled monolayers, and block copolymer lithography, with recent work on graphene oxide heterostructures and recyclability in additive manufacturing.

He supervises 5 postgraduate students and teaches modules like Final Year Project (PS451) and Solid State Physics I (PS204). Collaborations include institutions such as IMEC and Trinity College Dublin, with tools like the integrated ALD-XPS system at DCU.