1 PhD position for Selective Area Regrowth for embrane photonic devices in Netherlands | Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

The University of Eindhoven is leading in the field of Photonic Integration Technology. It has the world’s best equipped university cleanroom for photonic integration. The Photonic Integration program is a close cooperation between the departments of Electric Engineering and Physics. The Department of Electrical Engineering is one of the nine departments of the Eindhoven University of Technology and provides BSc and MSc programs in Electrical Engineering. The department has nine research groups and has research collaborations with other departments at the Eindhoven University of Technology as well as with a large number of other universities and companies, both within the Netherlands and internationally. The department has approximately 350 employees and 600 students.

Research challenges

Our research team is set out to develop a unique technology, that combines electronic and photonic functionality in a single chip. Such a technology will enable the next generation of photonic circuits, as a tight integration of control and driver electronics allows more compact and complex designs. Moreover, high performance CMOS circuits and computer architecture will benefit from such a technology as it allows the use of optical interconnects between processors or even cores on the same chip resulting in substantial improvements of speed, timing accuracy and power efficiency.

We address this challenge in two stages: (1) we develop a photonic platform (IMOS), where a thin Indium Phosphide membrane carrying all the photonic functionalities can be bonded to the electronic chip; (2) we investigate nanoscale photonic devices with the aim to drastically increase the number of optical devices per chip in the long term

The PhD student tasks

In both approaches a high efficiency in active devices and extremely low loss in passive circuits are mandatory for a successful technology. Consequently, we need to tailor the material properties in different areas of the chip to the functionality and combine them on a single wafer. Within this doctoral project we will explore the technique of selective area regrowth to achieve these goals. Here, a layer stack is epitaxially grown on a wafer, then selectively removed from certain areas, which can then be regrown with a different layer sequence. The candidate will investigate the influence of the regrowth on the material properties of the layer stacks and the quality of the interfaces. After first successes he/she will improve the design of integrated devices using this technique and develop active optical components, like semiconductor optical amplifiers and nanolasers, in collaboration with the other team members

Requirements

Candidates for this challenging project must have:

• Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or in Applied Physics, with a strong background in semiconductor physics and optics.
• Previous experience in epitaxial growth, cleanroom fabrication technologies or photonic device design of advantage.
• Good communication skills Fluent in English, both in speaking and in writing.
• Good teamworking capabilities.

Conditions of employment

The appointment is for four years. As an employee of the university you will receive a competitive salary as well as excellent secondary benefits (holiday allowance, etc.). The research in this project must be concluded with the attainment of a Ph.D. degree. A salary is offered starting at Euro 2.083,- per month (gross) in the first year and increasing up to Euro 2.664,- per month (gross) in the last year. Moreover 8% bonus share (holiday supplement) is provided annually. Assistance for finding accommodation can be given.

TU/e also offers you the opportunity for personal development by developing your social and communication skills. We do this by offering every PhD student a series of courses that are part of the Proof program as an excellent addition to your scientific education.

Additional information

Further information about the content can be obtained from Prof. Jos van der Tol (Αυτή η διεύθυνση Email προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.).

For information concerning employment conditions you can contact Ms. Femke Verheggen Αυτή η διεύθυνση Email προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε..

Application:

You should upload the following:

• a cover letter explaining your interest and your background in the proposed research topic,;
• a detailed Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications);
• a list of publications
• contact information of two references.
• copies of diplomas and a list of your courses taken and grades obtained,

Please keep in mind; you can upload only 5 documents up to 2 MB each.