PhD Position Micro-technologies for High-speed Chip Assembly Processes

PhD Position Micro-technologies for High-speed Chip Assembly Processes
PhD Position Micro-technologies for High-speed Chip Assembly Processes

Published	Deadline	Location
today	20 Apr	Delft

Hundreds of billions of electronic chips are manufactured annually and find their way to products and customers. We aim to develop new chip assembly processes that are 10-100x faster.
Job description

CONTEXT AND CHALLENGE

The growing demand for electronic devices in our society requires the production of billions of chips annually. Part of the production process is a rapid picking up of micro-chips from a wafer and accurately placing them in packages for protection and electrical connection. However, to keep up with the demand, chip assembly must become faster, more accurate and sustainable. This requires radically new assembly concepts and processes.

In this large collaborative project with a leading Dutch chip assembly company we investigate new chip assembly methods to achieve these challenging goals. As a PhD researcher you will research, design and test innovative techniques for faster micro-chip handling and accurate placement. We aim to evaluate and demonstrate that our assembly techniques will lead to breakthrough performance in next-generation industrial chip assembly.

RESEARCH

To achieve this goal we want to exploit the forces dominant at the micro-meter length scale. One promising approach is the use of micro-droplet technology to handle the chips. This will lead to soft-contact chip handling and alignment, and massively parallel chip assembly approaches.

Your research includes the definition and study of innovative assembly processes. Using analytical and/or numerical models combined with experimental research, you will develop the fundamental understanding of the underlying physics of these processes. You will identify the performance limits and potential failure modes. This will lead to new processes and designs to maximize assembly throughput while at the same time preventing possible assembly failures. This also links the research to real industrial demands, and you will explore the integration of the gained knowledge into industrially viable chip assembly processes.

Unique aspects of this project are the collaboration in a large team and the immediate industrial relevance of the research. You will be part of a team of 6 PhD and 2 postdoc researchers, who work together with scientists and research engineers from TU Delft and the company involved. This multi-disciplinary team setting provides a unique learning opportunity. Each of the researchers work on a dedicated part of the project, while at the same time closely collaborating with the rest of the team to ensure all parts will eventually fit together.  

Specifications

• 38—40 hours per week
• €2541—€3247 per month
• Delft View on Google Maps

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Requirements

We are looking for candidates who recognize themselves in one or more of the following:

• You have an MSc degree in micro & nano engineering, physics, or mechanical / mechatronic engineering, or a similar MSc degree relevant to the topic of research. Having knowledge on or affinity to micro-scale physics and technology is a benefit, for example in topics like micro-engineering and micro-manufacturing, micro-assembly, micro-fluidics, fluid dynamics, fluid-structure interactions.
• You like to combine experimental work with analytical or numerical model development. Experience in design, realization and/or operation of experimental setups is beneficial, e.g. use of actuators, vision systems, sensor systems, optics or control (LabView or similar).
• You are a team player who likes to collaborate with colleagues from university and industry.
• You are enthusiastic to work on cool, ground-breaking technology with the aim to revolutionize future chip production methods.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice  to assist you with your relocation.

Employer
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!

Department
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the 3mE faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in 3mE’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos  will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr.ir. Marcel Tichem, [email protected] .

Working at TU Delft

Join the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands. Work on clever solutions for worldwide challenges, to change the world and make an impact. Ready to bring your energy to our research?

Challenge, change, impact!

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Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply by 20 April 2023. Application documentation must contain a CV and a letter of motivation.

Promising applicants will be invited for an on-line interview. Selected candidates will be invited for an on-site interview. For information about the application procedure, please contact the HR department through [email protected] or the vacancy holder Dr.ir. Marcel Tichem, [email protected] .

Please note:

- A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.