Contract Type: Fixed Term – 18 months
Location: Bay Campus, Swansea
Swansea University has embarked upon a major expansion of its efforts in Semiconductor Science and Engineering – both research and teaching. This expansion is spearheaded through the new Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) – a £90M decadal vision of a bespoke new £30M industry-focused R&D facility. This facility is the first of its kind to fully integrate materials-and-device-level fabrication, analysis and testing across mainstream and emerging semiconductor platforms (silicon, narrow and wide gap compound semiconductors, soft next generation semiconductors such as organics and perovskites). This world-leading initiative is in direct response to the needs of the rapidly expanding regional semiconductor industry, and our shared vision of a thriving and modern manufacturing-intensive Welsh Economy. This position will be based in CISM from where the project will be delivered.
A Research Assistant position is available in the EPSRC funded project “Applications Targeted and Integrative Photovoltaics” to fabricate and characterise prototype semi-transparent organic solar cells for applications in agricultural settings (agriPV), specifically in greenhouses and polytunnels. ATIP is a £6M Program Grant funded by EPSRC and led by Swansea University, in close collaboration with Imperial College London and Oxford University,. The research is closely supported by 12 key industrial partners. The main objective is to deliver the underpinning science and engineering to drive the uptake of next generation organic photovoltaics and perovskite photovoltaics (PV) into integrated applications of clear technological need. More details about the ATIP project can be found here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/science-and-engineering/research/engineering/materials-manufacturing/atip/
The role is focused on the application of organic photovoltaics (OPV) in agricultural settings (agriPV), namely greenhouses and polytunnels. New approaches to semitransparent OPV will be explored with a focus on developing robust devices that can be scaled up for large-scale fabrication. Demonstrator devices will be fabricated using materials developed within the project as well as commercial modules. These demonstrator devices will be deployed in outdoor and controlled environments to a) study the performance of the devices under typical operating conditions and b), in conjunction with plant scientists, study how plants grow under spectrally filtered light. The ideal candidate will have a degree in chemistry, preferably with a PhD or least three years postgraduate research experience, and possess a track record of working in organic photovoltaics or related organic semiconductor devices. They will possess skills in thin-film deposition, thin-film characterisation using a range of techniques including XRD, SEM and AFM, as well as being able to perform steady-state and time-resolved transient electronic characterisation experiments. They should have experience of working within a cleanroom. The role also requires somebody with the ability to fabricate prototype and fabricate plastic substrates (for example, device holders, shadow masks, and transparent containers).
Shortlisting will on 4th December with interviews occurring on December 11th. For further information, please contact Dr. James Ryan j.******@sw*****.uk
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