Postdoctoral Fellow in Thin Film Engineering Microsensors

Organisation/Company ETH Zürich Research Field Chemistry » Other Engineering » Chemical engineering Engineering » Electrical engineering Engineering » Materials engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Technology » Nanotechnology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 26 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Part-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Postdoctoral Fellow in Thin Film Engineering for Microsensors

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Fellow in Microsensor Film Engineering to join our dynamic and interdisciplinary research team. The successful candidate will systematically study and engineer nanomaterial film architectures on miniaturized (MEMS) substrates for integrated gas sensing devices. The central objective is to understand and control how deposition process parameters govern film architecture (e.g., thickness, porosity, roughness, grain/particle connectivity, interfaces, adhesion, and pattern fidelity) and how this architecture ultimately determines sensor performance and device reliability.

Miniaturized gas sensors are increasingly important for applications spanning environmental monitoring, industrial safety, healthcare, and smart infrastructure. While nanomaterials offer exceptional sensing potential, successful device translation hinges on reproducible, scalable, and well‑understood thin‑film architectures that can be deposited and patterned on MEMS platforms. This position targets the establishment of process–architecture–property–performance relationships, combining controlled deposition experiments with advanced characterization and device‑level testing.

This position focuses on the deposition of nanomaterials onto MEMS substrates, the engineering and characterization of film architecture, and the integration and testing of gas sensor devices, both in the lab and in the field. Applicants are encouraged to explore and benchmark multiple deposition routes (including flame aerosol deposition, aerosol jet printing, inkjet printing, and related techniques), and to develop systematic parameter studies that enable robust and repeatable sensing layers.

• Systematic investigation of deposition process parameters and their influence on film architecture on MEMS/miniaturized substrates
• Engineering and tailoring film architectures (thickness gradients, porosity/connectivity, hierarchical structures, multi‑layer stacks, functional/catalytic over‑layers, patterned films) for sensing
• Benchmarking and comparing deposition techniques, such as flame aerosol deposition, aerosol jet printing, inkjet printing, spray/aerosol‑based coating, and related approaches
• Establishing process–architecture–performance relationships, linking film morphology and interfaces to sensitivity, selectivity, response/recovery, drift, stability, and power consumption
• Integration of sensing films into MEMS devices, including packaging constraints, electrical interfacing, and robustness under realistic operating conditions
• Sensing characterization and testing, including calibration, repeatability, humidity/interference effects, aging, and statistical evaluation across sensor batches
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams (materials science, microfabrication, chemistry, device physics, modeling)
• Prepare manuscripts, reports, and presentations to disseminate findings

Qualification:

• PhD in mechanical/process engineering, materials science, micro/nano engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience in thin‑film engineering, nanomaterial deposition, or micro/nano‑fabrication‑related research
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (proficient in English)

• Experience with one or more of: flame aerosol synthesis/deposition, aerosol jet printing, inkjet printing, spray coating,…