The Advanced Manufacturing Lab (am|z) at the Department of Mechanical & Process Engineering (D-MAVT) at ETH Zurich develops advanced manufacturing methods and systems to overcome the limitations of today's materials processing technologies. One particular area of interest is the design and fabrication of active structures through hybrid production methods. We're looking for a highly motivated Postdoc to develop methods for direct ink writing of thermo-electric materials onto non-planar metallic substrates.
Project background The position takes place within the recently awarded Meta.Morphos project, funded by the ESA ESDI Phi-Lab Switzerland. The overarching goal of the project is to develop methods to design and produce thermally actuated structures and mechanisms incorporating thermo-electric materials. Such devices have interesting applications in space under significant weight, volumetric, power, and resource constraints.
The project consortium includes multiple labs at ETH Zurich and research partners at Inspire AG, as well as industrialization partners. The main focus of this position will be to develop materials and methods for directly depositing and fabricating thermo-electric devices onto non-planar metallic substrates. In a parallel track, the team will develop techniques for the design and manufacture of the structures with predictable material properties. Finally, the two technologies will be combined to create integrated devices. The industrial partners will provide application-specific use cases, environmental testing expertise and facilities, and validation.
Job description - Characterization of powdered materials for ink formulation
- DIW process development for ceramic and TE materials, including parameters optimization and evaluation of resolution
- Setup, programming, and operation of DIW equipment
- Determination of optimal debinding and sintering steps
- Characterization of the sintered materials: density, microstructure, defects, shrinkage, possible distortions and preliminary thermoelectrical properties
- Running validation studies under simulated environmental conditions
- Assisting with industrial transfer of the developed technologies
- Publishing research findings in leading international journals and presenting at conferences
- Active involvement in teaching and lab duties outside of the project (~15-20% of working time)
Profile - PhD in Material Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Chemistry
- Knowledge and experience in direct ink writing technology, thermoelectric and ceramic materials, powder technologies, and material characterization with a corresponding scientific publication record
- Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills
- Proficiency in written and spoken English; German skills are a plus
We offer Founded in 2020 and led by Prof. Bambach, the Advanced Manufacturing Lab (am|z) currently employs about 50 people with research activities in additive and hybrid manufacturing processes and advanced process control. We offer a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international working environment and we strive at fostering collaborative atmosphere. ETH Zurich also supports postdocs in developing career perspectives, whether in research or industry.
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