3 Postdoctoral Fellowships in Advanced Photovoltaics

Background
McMaster University has recently been granted $4.1M for a Special Project in Photovoltaics by the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) – Centre for Energy in a highly competitive call for proposals. The project is a collaboration between McMaster University and ARISE Technologies of Waterloo, Ontario. The project seeks to transform the energy landscape of Ontario, by developing very high efficiency solar cells at minimum incremental cost to existing technologies, using multi-junction technology on Silicon substrates. The project has a strong research component and a clear commercialization target. This is a 3 year project, beginning in July 2008.

The project is being led by Rafael Kleiman, the Director of the Centre for Emerging Device Technologies (CEDT) and John Preston, the Director of the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research (BIMR), both housed at McMaster University. The key facilities that will be used in this project are the MBE in the CEDT and a suite of TEM’s in the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (part of the BIMR).

We are seeking highly motivated, ambitious and enthusiastic candidates who are seeking to make an impact in the energy sector through participation in this project as Postdoctoral Fellows. Candidates are expected to have strong individual expertise and be willing to work in an interdisciplinary team setting, including supervision of graduate and undergraduate students. This will be an extraordinary training and career opportunity for the successful candidates.

Positions will have the typical structure of an initial 1 year appointment with renewal after review for a 2nd year. Since this is a 3 year project, the opportunity to see the project to completion through a 3rd year is also possible.

Detailed requirements for the 3 positions
Candidate 1 is expected to have expertise in modelling the fabrication process and device performance of semiconductor devices, such as CMOS and/or photonic devices. The ability to customize commercial software packages from a fundamental knowledge will be considered an asset.

Candidate 2 is expected to have expertise in the fabrication of III-V or Silicon based semiconductor devices. The candidate is also expected to have experience in routine characterization of device performance using commercial instrumentation and the ability to develop new characterization methods.

Candidate 3 is expected to have expertise in atomic level imaging and characterization of semiconductor structures using a TEM.

Minimum requirements

Candidates must have a degree from a doctoral program in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Material Science (or the equivalent) from an accredited university.
Candidates who are more than 5 years out of their PhD are not eligible.
Preference will be given to candidates who have not previously held postdoctoral positions.
McMaster is committed to Employment Equity and welcomes applications from all qualified applicants, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities, and persons with disabilities.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian Citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
Selection process

Provide a cover letter, current CV and at least 2 references that we may contact about your recent work.
Describe your credentials and experience with respect to this project and state your preferred start date.
All submissions will be acknowledged and candidates will be notified of their status in the application process.
Submissions by email only to lwilson[ at ]mcmaster.ca
Successful applicants will be required to provide proof of their doctoral degree and be willing to sign confidentiality agreements (provision for publications in a timely manner is protected).
Positions are available immediately and applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.