Doctoral Thesis: Environmental sensors (f/m/div)

The industrial doctorate at Infineon: Pursue a doctoral degree at a university and gain professional experience simultaneously - an ideal start for your career. Advance your research with us and profit from our vast network of doctoral candidates and the expertise of a university. Mentorship is handled by both professors and dedicated Infineon employees.
We are offering a doctoral thesis dealing with the design and research of advanced environmental sensing concepts with focus on humidity sensors. The aim of the work is to develop a reliable and efficient humidity sensor for high temperatures and humidities.
State of the art humidity sensors are prone to drifting in these harsh conditions and hysteresis effects due to aging of its sensing material.
Focus of the work will be the research on sensing methods and materials for robust and reliable sensors.
The focus of the topic is on the design of the sensor system, including the investigation of new sensing materials and their resistance to drifting, aging and poisoning. Suitable materials are, researched and evaluated using numerical modeling methods, sample builds and test procedures. The aim is to ensure reliable operation of the sensor in harsh conditions for up to 15 years.
The research is carried out in cooperation with the University of Freiburg and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wöllenstein.

Job Description
The tasks within the thesis will consist of:

• Research on next generation humidity sensors incl. evaluation, improvement and chip design of humidity sensing layers within a semiconductor environment
• Interface between technology development and FE manufacturing as well as package development
• Gas evaluation lab setup and continuously improving the setup
• Interface for a German funding project
• Present your results on international conferences

The learnings out of the thesis will lead to:

• Build up expertise in humidity sensing material
• Foster the know how in gas sensing
• Laying the foundation for the next generation of humidity sensors

Your Profile
A doctoral student is a research enthusiast,
…whose interests are scientific research combined with the passion for Infineon’s innovative products and applications.
…who enjoys working in an industrial environment in combination with an Infineon partner university.
…who appreciates open communication and the contribution of an international environment.
…and is thus an excellent candidate for a further academic or industrial career after completion of their thesis.

As the ideal candidate you:

• Are eligible for full-time PhD studies and have a master’s degree in electrical engineering, physics, chemistry or a related field with very good grades
• Already have some experience in the field of lab tests and semiconductor related technologies
• Are you enthusiastic about scientific work and sensing
• Highly motivated and able to work self-reliant in an interdisciplinary environment
• Use your good presentation skills to present your results to a broader expert community in a clear and structured form
• Question the status quo and like to break new ground
• Have good oral and written communication skills in English and ideally German

Know-how in following topics is preferable - but not mandatory:

• Profound knowledge in gas sensing
• Have knowledge in material science, e.g. material chemistry/physics &material characterization (e.g. FTIR-, Raman-spectroscopy, XPS …)

Contact:
    Britta Johansson

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