Job number ACAD104576
Division/School School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Engineering Maths
Contract type Open Ended
Working pattern Full time
Salary £33,797 - 42,792
Closing date for applications 10-Jul-2020

We seek an enthusiastic and highly motivated researcher to help design and fabricate a nanoelectromechanical relay-based processor. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an international project to develop energy-efficient, high-temperature capable electronics for use in emerging paradigms such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and more-electric aircraft.

You will work within a team at the University of Bristol and collaborate closely with our partners in the project, including a global semiconductor company, a leading European foundry, and academia, to produce large-scale integrated circuits. Your main tasks will be to design, fabricate and characterise nanoelectromechanical relay-based circuits and functional blocks using ground-breaking nano relay designs that we have produced in the past [1,2]. This work will involve revising and optimising fabrication processes, materials and device designs, and developing new circuits using these devices.

The research activities to be carried out require a very thorough grounding in NEMS/MEMS, and the ideal candidate will have experience of working within a cleanroom for nanofabrication and using relevant software tools for design. Applicants should generally have a PhD in MEMS, NEMS, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Physics, photonics or a related field, but applications from candidates who are about to graduate with a PhD, or who have equivalent experience instead, are welcome.  

In this post you will be part of the Microelectronics Research Group, and work closely with the PI, Dr. Dinesh Pamunuwa. This appointment represents an opportunity for a committed and motivated researcher to work at a premier British University in collaboration with a glittering array of partners, and establish a track record in a very novel area of semiconductor electronics. You will be exposed to the latest industry practices in design, fabrication and assembly, and have the freedom to innovate. A successful outcome to the project will see demonstration of the first ever nanoelectromechanical relay-based FPGA and very likely result in further opportunities.

We understand and appreciate the uncertainties around the lockdown caused by Covid-19, especially for international applicants, for any questions please contact Dr. Pamunuwa (dinesh.pamunuwa@bristol.ac.uk).

We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and BAME communities, to join us.