Here you can find more information on our PhD projects disseminated in the first CRYSTALLINE call, which was closed on March 29, 2024. Click on the respective topic to learn more about the related research and supervisors.
Stay tuned for our second call with new PhD topics, which will open by the end of spring 2024. More infos will follow soon.
Electrification of transportation and increasing demands for electrical energy conversion make highly efficient and highly compact power converters the heart of many electronic based systems.
Wide-band gap (WBG) devices are gaining lot of attention in the last years due to the need of increased switching performance and power density of power converter systems. Increased switching frequencies require an accurate modelling of the switching cell, including layout, interconnections, and passive and active devices, since parasitic elements start playing a fundamental role in the circuit behavior. Therefore, the need for advanced characterization methods and accurate modelling of WBG devices and related converter components is today imperative to develop enhanced and high-fidelity simulations of the power electronic converter and its control system, allowing an accurate prediction of the switching behavior.
The research activity will initially be oriented to the analysis of the proper measurement circuit topologies and identification methods allowing to accurately stimulate the device under test and a proper data acquisition system allowing operation at high frequency and properly biased with varying voltages. Characterization setups will be designed to scrutinize device performance, also taking into account for external auxiliary circuits (i.e., gate drivers, passives, etc.), circuit layouts (e.g., switching loop analysis and optimization, component embedding, PCB technologies, etc.), and assessing abnormal behavior under varying operating conditions. This approach provides insights into the characteristics of the devices within the practical context of circuit configurations. The results of the characterization will be adopted to develop enhanced and high-fidelity simulation models, including both switching characteristics and losses, to be embedded into the simulation tools and augmented by including system parasitic elements and accurate thermal models (at different level of refinement), with the aim of allowing fast thus accurate simulation at both device and converter circuit levels. Die interconnections and packaging solution will also be taken into account, both at single device level, and at converter building block (e.g., half-bridge), and proper characterization and measurement setup and methods studied and implemented, leading to a higher level model. The developed models might also be adopted to serve as a digital representation that emulates the behavior of the device and the converter in digital twin fashion . Finally, a set of experimental validation scenarios at both device and converter level will be considered, ensuring the practical applicability of the characterized models in a real-world application, and trying to push the operations towards the boundaries of state-of-the-art solutions (e.g., increasing the switching frequencies, optimizing the thermal handling, increasing the converter power density, etc.). Active thermal control strategies by proper switching patterns might also be considered in both simulation and experimental validation.
University | Assoc. Prof. Roberto Petrella, University of Udine |
SAL |
The main goal of the PhD project is to develop a Plasma ALE process for etching of AlN and AlScN corresponding to the requirements for application in Quantum/Nano photonics and MEMS. The idea is to find optimal etching process and plasma parameters leading to formation of profiles required. The research will be carried out experimentally on industrial equipment provided by Applied Materials. The result of the project will be the developed etching process implemented for fabrication of metasurface-based prototype for quantum photonics applications .
University | Prof. Julian Schulze, Ruhr University of Bochum |
SAL |
HiPIMS, or High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering, is an advanced thin film deposition technique that has gained significant importance in the field of materials science and thin film technology. HiPIMS allows for highly precise control over the deposition process, making it possible to create thin films with exceptional uniformity, thickness, and microstructure. This level of control is crucial for applications where thin film properties must be tightly controlled, especially for epitaxial growth. HiPIMS promotes better adhesion of the deposited film to the substrate due to the high-energy plasma pulses used in the process. This leads to films with higher density and improved mechanical properties, which are important for applications such as wear-resistant coatings. Thus, HiPIMS so far has been used extensively in the field of hard coatings, while its application in semiconductor technology still lags. HiPIMS can be performed at lower substrate temperatures compared to some other deposition techniques. This is advantageous for temperature-sensitive materials and allows for the deposition of films on a wider range of substrates. The fine-tuning of HiPIMS parameters can lead to improved film quality, reduced defects, and enhanced film performance, particularly in terms of optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. In combination with RF substrate bias, the epitaxial AlScN films can be grown at lower temperature controlling the crucial characteristics of films, such as their texture, impurity density, and residual stress. This work will be focused on the hardware improvements necessary for the flexible growth parameters as well as the simulation of plasma generation, selective acceleration of ionized sputtered atoms and their charge states. The objective is to master the HiPIMS technique for growing epitaxial AlScN thin films for various applications in microsystem technology.
University | Prof. Daniel Lundin, University of Linköping |
SAL |
Burgeoning air pollution demands cost-effective gas sensors for monitoring toxic pollutants. This Ph.D. project pioneers Fully Printed Light Activated Gas Sensors (FLAGS), which uses printing technologies for increased sustainability and light activation for reduced power consumption, enabling miniaturization and enhancing stability. This project addresses the environmental impact of electronics production, where conventional practices contribute to energy and resource consumption, escalating the e-waste crisis. By utilizing printing technologies, we aim to develop fully printed gas sensors capable of ubiquitous and sustainable environmental monitoring in line with WHO recommendations. The chosen candidate will work alongside experienced researchers, gaining valuable insights into cutting-edge technologies while contributing to a more sustainable and technologically advanced future.
University | Prof. Bernhard Jakoby, JKU Linz |
SAL |
Microscopy based on non-linear processes, including multi-photon fluorescence from intrinsic chromophores, second- and third-harmonic generation, has large potential for biomedical and clinical applications. Particularly interesting are non-invasive or minimally invasive applications, which have the potential to replace conventional diagnostic approaches, e.g., biopsy.
Major challenges of such techniques are (i) achieving a satisfactory and minimally invasive light delivery and collection, which is complicated by light absorption from tissues, (ii) achieving sufficient resolution to identify (sub-) cellular features, and (iii) developing a robust system at an affordable cost.
In this thesis, the PhD candidate will develop a miniaturized microscope probe, based on MEMS micromirrors, for simultaneous time-resolved three-photon fluorescence and third-harmonic generation. In particular, the PhD candidate will
The PhD thesis will be supported by the infrastructure available at SAL, including software for optical design, suitable short-pulse light sources and equipment for professional optical micro-assembly. The PhD candidate will be supported by SAL staff, with a long-lasting experience in non-linear optics and in the design and implementation of optical systems.
University | Prof. Marlos Groot, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam |
SAL |
Microscopy based on non-linear processes, including multi-photon fluorescence from intrinsic chromophores, second- and third-harmonic generation, has large potential for biomedical and clinical applications. Particularly interesting are non-invasive or minimally invasive applications, which have the potential to replace conventional diagnostic approaches, e.g., biopsy.
Major challenges of such techniques are (i) achieving a satisfactory and minimally invasive light delivery and collection, which is complicated by light absorption from tissues, (ii) achieving sufficient resolution to identify (sub-) cellular features, and (iii) developing a robust system at an affordable cost.
In this thesis, the PhD candidate will develop a miniaturized microscope probe, based on MEMS micromirrors, for simultaneous time-resolved three-photon fluorescence and third-harmonic generation. In particular, the PhD candidate will
The PhD thesis will be supported by the infrastructure available at SAL, including software for optical design, suitable short-pulse light sources and equipment for professional optical micro-assembly. The PhD candidate will be supported by SAL staff, with a long-lasting experience in non-linear optics and in the design and implementation of optical systems.
University | Prof. Mario Huemer, JKU Linz |
SAL |
The PhD candidate will perform research on methods to quantify, support, and improve the trustworthiness of 6G communication with a focus on mission-critical applications in dynamic industrial environments with communication needs like ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). By ensuring trustworthy communication in 6G networks, the research will cover frameworks for assessing and enhancing network resilience and reliability, thus delivering trusted performance even in high-demand scenarios.
One focus of research should be on developing environmental sensing technologies, which can be used to predict the near future of communication scenarios to improve communication quality and achieve close-to-deterministic communication performance. Localization, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), and other methods should be explored for this purpose. Incorporating both, AI methods and advanced signal processing to interpret and analyze the environment will be a key aspect of this research, especially in challenging conditions like severe multipath propagation and non-line-of-sight scenarios.
The theoretical research should be applied to real-world industrial settings such as smart manufacturing, automated logistics, and precision agriculture. Collaborating with industry partners to understand their unique challenges and developing 6G-enabled solutions to improve efficiency and productivity will be an integral part of the research.
University | Prof. Andreas Springer, JKU Linz |
SAL |
The utilization of accurate sensing information about the environment is expected to play a key role in pushing the limits of future communication networks like 6G to the next level, be it in terms of throughput, latency, or link robustness. One very promising idea is the concept of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), aiming at the symbiotic combination of both in a single system. While such a combination is desirable for many reasons such as efficient resource utilization of e.g., the available radio frequency spectrum, it entails fundamental changes in the design compared to the state-of-the-art approach of developing and optimizing individual systems. In addition, the expected benefits of ISAC make an implementation thereof in consumer mass market devices likely in the near future, with new challenges arising such as e.g., imperfect low-level hardware or massive multi-user communication scenarios, which impede the desire for accurate sensing information. The aim of this research is the investigation and exploration of PHY layer based ISAC concepts with a focus on the deployment in real-world communication scenarios, utilizing advanced signal processing and/or AI methods, exploring innovative sensor technologies, and implementing concepts on real hardware.
University | Prof. Andreas Springer, JKU Linz Prof. Mario Huemer, JKU Linz |
SAL |
Within the “Efficient Algorithms and Accelerator Architectures for Distributed Edge-AI Systems” you will explore the world of distributed, decentralized, and federated AI systems. These cutting-edge systems are instrumental in enabling efficient knowledge exchange among autonomous edge devices, thereby revolutionizing their operational capabilities.
This PhD position focuses on the exploration of space- and energy-efficient edge AI tailored to distributed systems. Unlike prevailing approaches primarily concentrated on inference, this thesis aims to comprehensively cover the training and fine-tuning aspects of AI.
University | Prof. Aurel Prodan, AAU Klagenfurt Prof. Marcel Baunach, TU Graz |
SAL |