PhD on the physics of ion and water detection in micro-electronics

The presence of water and ions will trigger corrosion inside chips and micro-electronics. The key challenge of the project is to equip a chip with an early warning sensor for ions and water. Therefore, profound knowledge is needed of the physics of electric field driven water and ion transport at low concentrations, along (metallic) interfaces, such as leads and wires, in chips and printed circuit boards. Sources for ions and water might be from the environment or the chip-materials itself.

Your task is to investigate and model transport processes leading to degradation of micro-electronics, focusing on ion and water transport, combined with finding the driving forces (electric fields) as well as preferential pathways (interfaces).

This PhD work is laying the foundation for warning principles in micro-electronic systems. This project is part of a larger TTW-NWO Perspectief Program ('Circular Circuits') with the ambition to design extremely robust or fully reusable or recyclable microelectronics in the future. Understanding the processes in current microelectronics using models and measurements can help to assess the impact on the major damage originating processes, allowing fast development of future microelectronic products. Together with other PhD's in this program, the work should lead to predictive models and a demonstrator of a health sensor.

Working location
The work will be performed in the group Transport in Permeable Media (TPM) in the Applied Physics department of the Eindhoven University of Technology.

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,770 max. €3,539)
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.