CRYSTALLINE PhD position - Development of Magnetoelectric Thin Films Composites into Functional Devices (all genders) // Job-ID: 149-1

Your future responsibilities

The magnetoelectric (ME) effect is the property that a material’s magnetic polarization can be influenced by an external electric field (converse ME) or that the electric polarization can be influenced by an external magnetic field (direct ME). More recently, the ME effect has obtained significant interest due to its potential applications in advanced technologies such as sensors, tuneable filters and inductors, spintronics, energy-efficient memory devices, energy-harvesting for wearables and IoT and even logic devices thanks to the advances on thin films materials and their stacking, forming composite heterostructures. Such heterostructures are composed of a magnetostrictive layer and a piezoelectric layer, giving rise to a ME effect that is mainly driven by strain coupling. The properties and quality of each individual layer, and the obtained interface between those layers sets the performance of ME devices. In this project, the student will actively participate in the full cycle of the development of a ME device, combining theoretical modelling and simulation, material synthesis and characterization, and device fabrication and testing. The focus applications will be ultra-high performance biomedical sensing and tuneable RF filters targeting 5G/6G frequency bands. 
The PhD is divided in two main parts: 

1. Development of a high quality magnetoelectric stack, by investigating different magnetostrictive (FeCoB, Ni) and piezoelectric (AlScN, PZT) thin films and their coupling. Addition of extra layers in the stack to improve device performance (such as including synthetic antiferromagnet) will also be studied. 
2. Fabrication and optimization of an ME device, with focus on sensors for biomedical applications and tunable RF filters.

It is expected that the student will invest her/his time in equal parts between TU Wien and SAL at the beginning of the project. Along the project development, more time will be dedicated to SAL, as the student will be key in transferring the obtained knowledge. After understanding the materials’ properties and fabrication processes, the project will culminate in working ME device(s) with promising performance to ignite the interest of industrial partners.

Your profile

• Experience in Electrical and Magnetic characterization and measurements (use of oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, sourcemeters, electromagnets, vibrating sample magnetometer, magneto-optical Kerr effect…).
• Background in Experimental Physics, Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, and related fields.
• Knowledge in Material Science, materials properties and characterization.
• Experience in Cleanroom environment and microfabrication facilities (thin film deposition, lithography, etching…).
• Knowledge in simulation tools and software, with programming skills (e.g. Python, COMSOL, etc).
• Excellent English level is mandatory.
• Ability to clearly express yourself, hears others and keep open-minded discussions.
• Good presentation skills, with the will to perform scientific dissemination.
• Proactive and curious.
• Strong interest in developing applied science.

Important Facts about SAL

• Application deadline: 3 November 2024
• Weekly working hours: 38.5
• Diversified research activities with plenty of technical challenges.
• State-of-the-art lab facilities and instruments.
• Internal and external training opportunities for further development.
• Home Office possible.
• € 4 per day food allowance in restaurants or € 2 per day in supermarkets.
• Family & kids friendly.
• Free coffee/milk/tea & fresh fruits.

For this position you will receive a monthly gross salary of EUR 3,827, which will be paid 14 times a year. Financial support for housing for stays abroad (e.g., in case of secondments) and travelling expenses will be offered on a case-by-case basis.

Become part of Silicon Austria Labs

Application requirements:

• Applicants must not have resided and/or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Austria for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline.
• Master's degree including official evidence completed by application deadline.
• Not in possession of a PhD degree.
• Only complete sets of application documents concatenated in a single PDF can be accepted.

Required application documents (concatenated in a single PDF in this order):

• [Mandatory] 1-page letter of motivation (in English), including a declaration of the considered research topic
• [Mandatory] CV (in English), including
  • expertise, skills, and
  • (if applicable) list of internships and publications & patents
• [Mandatory] Scanned copies of transcripts of records for bachelor and the master (or equivalent degree) including the diplomas proofing the completion of the studies (originally issued in English or German, or an official translation in alignment with the guidelines on translation and authentication)
• [Mandatory] Proof of fluency in English at minimum B2 level (Upper Intermediate English). Accepted proofs are e.g. master studies in English or an internationally accepted certificate.
• [Mandatory] Scanned copy of valid Passport/ID
• [Optional] Letter of references from academic reference persons (with contact details)
• [Optional] Authored/Co-authored publications
• [Mandatory] Master thesis

Please check all the details about the application requirements on our website: Crystalline Program Recruitment | SAL Research Network (silicon-austria.com)