INT-26055-ELECTRICAL TUNABILITY OF AERSOL-JET DEPOSITED RF ELEMENTS ON FERROELECTRIC FILMS

Internship contract (compulsory) – 6 months | Fulltime/40h | From 01.03.2026 to 30.09.2026 | Belvaux

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

How will you contribute?

The possibility to change the permittivity of ferroelectric materials with an external bias field makes them valuable for applications requiring electrical tunability. For high-frequency tunable applications, electrode structures typically are on a scale of tens of micrometers, and fabrication relies on relatively complex lithographic techniques. Recent developments allow direct patterning of waveguide structures with sufficient resolution by aerosol jet deposition (AJD).

The ‘Chemical Processing of Transducer Materials’ (CPTM) group of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology has developed a method for aerosol-jet deposition of metals on ferroelectric substrates. The aim of the present internship is to characterize the electrical conductivity of these electrodes in the radio frequency range. Once the properties of the conductors are understood, the influence of an electrical dc bias field on the performance of functional elements such as coplanar waveguides (CPW) will be investigated, with the aim of evaluating the viability of ferroelectrics-based tunable RF devices.

The internship will comprise depositing the electrode structures on dielectric substrates, measuring their electrical conductivity using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The main part of the internship is based on the fabrication of functional RF structures on ferroelectric thin films of Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (PZT). The S-parameters of these devices are measured using the VNA while a bias field is applied to change the dielectric permittivity of the ferroelectric. The resulting changes of the S-parameters will be traced back to changes of the dielectric permittivity.

The work will be supervised by Dr. T. Granzow (https://researchportal.list.lu/scientific-community/detail/granzow-torsten)

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education and skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry or a related discipline & enrolled in an MSc programme

• Experience with direct patterning methods, electrical measurements or measurements using a VNA is a plus, but not mandatory.

• Ability to work in a team is essential.

Language skills

• Fluency in English, both oral and written.

Your LIST benefits

• An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects

• Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society

• Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do

• An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas

• Multicultural and international work environment with more than 50 nationalities represented in our workforce

• Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions

• Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science

• 32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays

Apply online

https://www.list.lu/career/job-offers

Your application must include a motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

Application procedure and conditions:

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.