Integrated circuits are the cornerstone of our digital society. The practical use of integrated circuits depends strongly on low-cost, high-quality assembly, packaging, processing, inspection, and connection of chips into electrical components. Control of these processes is done with high-performance optical imaging. When imaging at high resolution, wavefront aberrations deteriorate the image quality of these tools. Since these aberrations lead to a loss of accuracy in the alignment of the semiconductor devices it is of paramount importance to mitigate them.

 High resolution imaging over a large field of view will be implemented for digital holography. When imaging the wavefield over a large field of view the aberrations are spatially dependent. Therefore they require advanced non-isoplanatic correction techniques. The PhD candidate will model non-isoplanatic aberrations in optical systems and develop computational techniques to compensate for them. These techniques will then be implemented in a lab-based experimental digital holography setup. The performance of the developed techniques will be quantified and optimized both in terms of obtained spatial resolution as well as in computational times. Moreover, since these aberrations have to be corrected in an industrial-type high-throughput environment the computations for removing them have to be performed at high speed.

We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with a ‘drive’ for applied research. He or she has a demonstrable interest in optics, optical imaging design, and signal processing. The candidate should have an MSc degree in Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or the equivalent. The PhD position is firmly imbedded in a physics environment, but the candidate strongly interacts with engineers in the industrial partner through company internships, online meetings, and, where possible, implementation in an industrial environment. Good communication skills in English are a prerequisite.

Fixed-term contract: 4 jaar.

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment; an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor; and a Doctoral Education Programme aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. Please visit www.phd.tudelft.nl for more information.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Applied Sciences

With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers.

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The PhD student will work under the guidance of Jeroen Kalkman who is leading a prominent international research group in the field of optical tomography. In this group novel optical instrumentation is developed for imaging and sensing. The group focuses on high performance 3D imaging and on extracting valuable quantitative information from the measured images.