Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Thin Film Deposition of Complex Oxides for Next Generation Elect

About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in in Thin Film Deposition of Complex Oxides for Next Generation Electronics available at the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN), Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo.

Starting date as soon as possible, and no later than June 1st, 2025.

The fellowship period is for a period of three (3) years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology 

Knowledge development in a changing world - Science and technology towards 2030.

Job description

With the semiconductor industry getting close to the inherent limits of conventional silicon technology, there is a strong interest in designing and implementing new materials that can push and move the field beyond Moore’s law. A range of different strategies show great promise, including the use of complex oxides to enhance existing, or even integrate new, functionalities.

The current paradigm in transistor technologies makes use of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), usually based around doped silicon and a high-k insulator. This choice of materials offers several advantages with respect to processing and cost, but there are certainly other materials that can be used to enhance functionality and revolutionize the field. This paradigm-shift becomes a necessity when the scaling of silicon is no longer an option, and we are rapidly approaching this crossroad. Low-energy computing is also becoming increasingly important, and new materials comes with the promise of breaking the 0.5 V gate voltage barrier of Si-based technologies.

A variety of challenges arise when moving to other material systems, most notably the difficulty of implementing more complex materials of sufficient quality in a cost-effective way and on a low thermal budget. At the group for Nanostructures and Functional Materials (NAFUMA), part of the Center for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, we develop methods for the integration of complex oxides in electronic model systems. This is carried out using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. ALD is a variant of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) where gaseous precursors are sequentially pulsed into the reactor, opening for self-limiting growth with extreme control of thin film thickness, conformality and uniformity. NAFUMA has taken a leading role in this development, and currently collaborates with several major industry players in the field.

This postdoctoral research fellowship is funded by the Academia Agreement with the aim to develop new materials and material implementations for future generation electronics. In this postdoctoral fellowship, the candidate will take part in the development of new functional materials that can act as a conduc-tive and templating interlayer for next generation technologies. This is first and foremost in the form of complex oxide conductors that can be utilized in future FeFET or FTJ computing architectures. The candidate will have the possibility to choose their own focus area within the field, in cooperation with group seniors. Depending on the candidate’s background and preferences, the project can be designed to have various focus on synthesis and characterization of functional properties. Relevant tasks may be a combination of:

• Development of novel ALD-processes for functional electronically conductive complex oxides by ALD.
• In-depth structural characterization of said complex oxide thin films, e.g. using x-ray diffraction techniques such as reciprocal space mapping and transmission electron microscopy
• In-depth functional characterization of complex oxide thin films, e.g. using physical property measurement systems, transport measurements, temperature dependent 4-point probing etc.
• Use of large facilities (synchrotrons, neutron sources)

The postdoctoral Research Fellow will be closely knit with the supervisors’ other projects and focuses, and in several cases work in a large team with colleagues at the University of Oslo and partners across Europe. Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) is an interdisciplinary centre, collaboration between five research groups in physics and chemistry, and spearheads the MN Faculty's efforts for sustainable energy solutions. The Centre comprises UiO’s focus on renewable energy, materials science, and nanotechnology.

We seek a candidate that wants to pave the road as they explore, guided by a research group in the forefront of the field.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements:

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in Materials Science, Chemistry or Physics. The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an ap-proved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Solid understanding of structure-property relations in crystalline inorganic materials
• The position's subject area may require licensing under the Norwegian Export Control Act. In order to be considered for the position, it is a prerequisite that UiO must be able to be granted such license. https://www.uio.no/english/studies/admission/master/export-control.html 

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with thin film deposition of inorganic materials, preferably by atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition
• Experience with structural and/or functional characterization of thin films, e.g. using XRD, XPS, TEM, PPMS, ellipsometry, AFM and/or transport measurements
• Knowledge on functional complex oxides such as metallic conductors and/or semiconductors

Personal skills:

• We seek a candidate who is flexible, good at taking initiative and has excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Being employed in a larger project, we seek a candidate who enjoys working in a team. 

We offer:

• Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per year depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• Any relevant letters of recommendation
• The candidate’s doctoral dissertation
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. 

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations:

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

No one can be appointed twice as a Postdoctoral fellow financed with funds from The Research Council of Norway (NFR).

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact persons:

For further information please contact Associate Professor Henrik H. Sønsteby, phone: +47 92097702, e-mail: henrik.sonsteby@kjemi.uio.no.

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Olga Holmlund, e-mail: olga.holmlund@uio.no