The position will be available as of February 2015. The planned project duration is three years.

Empa’s Electron Microscopy Center is offering a SNSF-funded PhD project on Growth of III-V nanostructures in 3D templates and their characterization.

Project outline
As the scaling-down of silicon microelectronic devices is approaching fundamental limits, the semicon-ductor industry is forced to research and develop novel materials and devices. The integration of III-V semiconductors on Si is key to open up new possibilities for (opto-)electronic devices and thus new on-chip functionalities. This PhD project aims at doing a major step ahead in deepening the understanding of III-V nanoscale epitaxy processes, investigating the correlation between growth parameters and crystal morphology, as well as composition and defect formation. This will be enabled by advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques (e.g. aberration corrected TEM/STEM, atomic-scale EELS and EDX, in-line electron holography, electron tomography) along with the concurrent development of image analysis methods. This is a collaborative project with the Materials Integration and Nanoscale Devices - MIND Group at IBM, Rüschlikon.

Applicants are expected to hold a Master’s degree in physics, materials science or related field with a strong background in semiconductor physics and materials science. Previous experience with transmission electron microscopy is desirable. The candidate is highly motivated, able to work in a multidisciplinary field and capable of performing in competitive teams. Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory.

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