MSN - Post-doc Position, Engineering Thin Film Materials and Structures via Physical Vapor

Post-doc position: Engineering thin film materials and structures via physical vapor deposition for energy applications

About Mohammed VI polytechnic University (UM6P)

Located at the heart of the future Green City of Benguerir, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), a higher education institution with international standards, is established to contribute to the development of Morocco and the African continent. Its vision is honed around research and innovation at the service of education and development. This unique nascent university, with its state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, has woven a sound academic and research network, and its recruitment process is seeking high quality academics and professionals in order to boost its quality-oriented research environment in the metropolitan area of Marrakech.

About MSN department

The Materials Science, Energy, and nano-engineering (MSN) is a department at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University that aims to makes use of innovative research and education in order to promote solution development and entrepreneurship (in the context of Moroccan and African challenges), while training the next generation top scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs.

Research at MSN is organized in different research clusters including Energy Transition, Surface Technology and Metallurgy, Polymers and Composites, and Sustainable Materials. With some 100 researchers and PhD students and several national and international partners, MSN is emerging as a strong actor in the Moroccan materials research scene. The department coordinates several initial and executive Master programs.

Located in the municipality of Benguerir, in the very heart of the Green City, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University aspires to leave its mark nationally, continentally, and globally.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct experimental research to advance the understanding of thin film deposition processes using PVD techniques such as magnetron sputtering
• Optimize deposition parameters to achieve desired thin film properties
• Characterize deposited thin films using material characterization techniques
• Explore and evaluate different materials to achieve specific thin film properties for applications like photocatalysis and energy storage.
• Develop and implement diagnostic techniques to characterize the plasma during sputtering processes to study plasma parameters such as electron density, temperature, and composition, using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Langmuir probe measurements.
• Investigate the effects of process parameters on plasma properties and sputtering process, to optimize sputtering conditions for improved thin film properties.
• Investigate ionization mechanisms in the plasma during sputtering and including ionization, dissociation, to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms driving sputtering phenomena.
• Analyze experimental data, interpret results, and draw conclusions to guide further research directions or process improvements
• Track and report project tasks during the periodic review meetings.
• Publish high-quality scientific publications 
• Supervision of master and PhD students, providing guidance on experimental techniques, data analysis, and research methodologies.

Job requirements:

• You have a PhD degree in Engineering or Applied Sciences (Materials, Chemistry, Physics) 
• Knowledge of surface technology, thin film synthesis by PVD methods and their characterization 
• Practical experience thin film deposition/characterization and plasma characterization
• You take initiative and can work independently, and as and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• You have good communication skills and are proficient in English and French, both written and orally.