PhD Position | Homo- and heterostructures with 2D single crystals by selective deposition for advanced logic applications

29 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

IMEC

Research Field

All

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Belgium

Application Deadline

15 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Gain a comprehensive understanding of chemical vapor deposition and utilize advanced industrial reactors to create heterostructures of 2D materials for future nano-electronic devices.

Novel two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially the semi-conducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), offer advanced functionality in advanced and ultra-scaled integrated systems. In view of their compelling electronic, magnetic, and optical properties for a monolayer form, imec explores their integration for various applications and systems; in particular, for advanced CMOS technologies in a beyond-silicon roadmap. 

The artificial fabrication of homo- and heterostructures, consisting of two or more 2D materials, provides an interesting pathway to preserve and tune the unique electrical properties for a given application. [1-4] However, the synthesis of 2D/3D homo- and heterostructures with industry compatible deposition techniques is still in the early stages.

 

The Goal

The main goal is to design novel deposition processes of homo- and heterostructures with monolayer thickness control that can be integrated into future sub-nanometer devices such as gate-all-around nanosheet field effect transistors (FETs) and atomically thin complementary FETs (CFETs). (Fig1.)

  

What you will do

In this PhD research project, you will explore the nucleation and growth behavior of TMDCs with monolayer thickness control by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on other TMDCs and/or on amorphous dielectrics to create homo- and heterostructures with tunable and improved electrical performance.

During the PhD research, you are encouraged to:

• Develop fundamental understanding of TMDs growth mechanisms by combining experimental analysis via a complementary set of advanced characterization techniques with theoretical models.
• Design novel deposition concepts that ensure monolayer thickness control and enable stacking of 2D layers to form vertical heterostructures, based on the generated insight in the growth mechanisms.
• Critically review the existing literature in this novel research field and make analytical assessment of possible growth strategies.

 

This research will be conducted using imec's state-of-the-art 300mm clean room infrastructure. You will be a part of the 2D material growth team at imec, where you are supported by an international team of top researchers in different fields who will provide the necessary support to achieve your goals.  

 

Your Training

In addition to the PhD track at the KU Leuven, you will:

• Learn how to operate 300mm industrial CVD reactors.
• Gain knowledge from different physical characterization techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, photoluminescence (PL), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), In-plane X-ray diffraction (In-plane XRD).
• Participate in preparing and aligning device fabrication flows for the electrical assessment of your samples together with device experts.

References

Huang X, Liu C, Zeng S, et al. Ultrathin multibridge channel transistor enabled by van der Waals assembly. Adv Mater. 2021;33:2102201.

Liu L, Liu C, Jiang L, et al. Ultrafast non-volatile flash memory based on van der Waals heterostructures. Nat Nanotechnol. 2021;16:874–881.  

H. Ago, S. Okada, Y. Miyata, K Matsuda, M. Koshino, K. Ueno, K. Nagashio. Science of 2.5 dimensional materials: paradigm shift of materials science toward future social innovation. Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2023, 23:1, 275-299.

P. V. Pham, S. C. Bodepudi, K. Shehzad, Y. Liu, Y. Xu, B. Yu, X. Duan. Chem. Rev. 2022, 122, 6, 6514–6613.

 

Type of work: 5% literature, 5% theory, 90% experimental

Supervisor: Annelies Delabie

Co-supervisor: Pierre Morin

Daily advisor: Henry Medina Silva

The reference code for this position is 2024-017. Mention this reference code on your application form.

Requirements

Research Field

All

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Required background: Chemistry Science, Material Science, Physics Science, Electrical Engineering with emphasis on semiconductor technology, nanotechnology or related field.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information
Selection process

• Read the PhD Admission Requirements
• Choose your topics and look up the reference codes (2023-001). You can apply for maximum 3 projects in total.
• Collect your documents in pdf format:
  • Download and complete the motivation letter
  • Resume
  • Bachelor's degree and transcripts
  • Master's degree and transcripts
    If you have not finished your master program yet, you can submit your degree when you graduate. Do submit your master examination results available at the time of application.
  • Proof of your English language proficiency (refer to the PhD Admission Requirements  for details)
  • GRE score (refer to the PhD Admission Requirements  for details)
  • Ask two referees to fill out the evaluation form  for you and have them send their input to [email protected]  before the deadline (15 April 2023 or 15 December 2023). The letters of recommendation are confidential and are an essential part of your application. We will not be able to process your application without the evaluation forms so it is important that you contact your referees in time.

Additional comments
General information

There are two application windows:

• From 15 March until 15 April
• From 15 October until 15 December

Imec itself is not giving PhD degrees but acts as a host research institute for PhD and postdoc research in collaboration with 5 Flemish universities: KU Leuven, UGent, VUBrussel, UAntwerpen, UHasselt. Imec has also signed dual degree PhD agreements with Flemish and international universities. Both engineers and scientists can apply because of the multidisciplinary character of our research. PhDs get supported by professors of both national and international universities, all of them experts in their domains.
Imec has a dual degree agreement with different universities.

If you have more questions after reading the information below, contact [email protected] .

Website for additional job details

https://www.imec-int.com/en/work-at-imec/job-opportunities/phd-at-imec

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

imec

Country

Belgium

City

Leuven

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.imec-int.com/en/work-at-imec/job-opportunities/homo-and-heterostruc…

Contact

City

Leuven

Website

http://www.imec-int.com

Street

Kapeldreef 75

Postal Code

3001

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED