Functional thin films and nanolayers play an important role in many optical and electrical devices, such as transistors, solar cells and batteries. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) can be used to prepare such films in an atomic layer by atomic layer fashion, with excellent control over the material properties and composition. This ALD technique is already an enabling technology, mainly in high-end products such as the processor and memory in your smartphone. At the same time, lab-scale successes show that many more ALD materials have potential in many more applications, especially also in commodity products such as batteries, displays and perovskite solar cells. In order for ALD to be competitive in these upcoming commodity applications it has to be sufficiently scalable, i.e. materials need to be prepared at high speed over large surface areas, at low cost. Therefore, this project revolves around spatial ALD (S-ALD), a high throughput variant of ALD. The aim is to prepare new (complex) materials for more applications. Mainly think of doped and compound oxides, to be deposited on demanding substrates such as trenches and porous foils. The project has a particular focus on gaining insights in the fundamental aspects governing S-ALD film growth.

Central to this project is a new spatial ALD tool and we are looking for a PostDoc who can kickstart the research on this new tool! Are you someone with affinity for ALD or other vapor-deposition tools and/or thin film processing? Your research will revolve around S-ALD of doped and compound metal oxides, with a focus on the use of supercycles and co-dosing.  You will have access to state-of-the-art film metrology, including TEM.

You will perform your research within the Plasma & Materials (PMP) group at the Applied Physics department of the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), within the framework of
a NWO OTP (open technology program) project. The research will be conducted at the TU/e, in close collaboration with various S-ALD stakeholders that are mainly situated in the Eindhoven Brainport region. You will work closely together with other researchers in the PMP group, under the supervision of dr. Bart Macco and prof.dr.ir. Erwin Kessels. Moreover, within this project also a PhD will be employed who will focus on aspects such as film nucleation, growth effects and the deposition in e.g. 3D structures and porous substrates.

Next to the supervision of BSc and MSc students in their research projects, other assistance in education, e.g. in bachelor courses, is usually included, approximately counting for 5% of your contract time.

• PhD in in (Applied) Physics, Chemistry, Nanotechnologies or Material Science or a comparable domain.
• Ability to conduct high quality academic research, demonstrated by a PhD thesis and publication(s).
• Strongly preferred: experience in thin films, deposition, processing equipment and thin film analytical techniques
• Excellent mastering of the English language, good communication and leadership skills. Note that there is no Dutch language requirement.
• Be a team player and able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary context.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment up to 2 years.
• You will have free access to high-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary;
• A broad package of fringe benefits (including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, savings schemes).
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.