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PhD Research Fellow in Semiconductor Physics

Deadline: 28.02.2021

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The research at the Department of Physics covers a broad range of subfields within physics and technology: From space research to medical physics. A good proportion of the research is interdisciplinary, and conducted in close cooperation with collaborators in Norway and abroad.


Education and teaching are other essential activities. We offer a broad range of courses, and the Department is involved in several study programmes at bachelor’s and master’s level. Some of the best lecturers in Norway are amongst our employees, and we are proud of our prizewinning teaching and learning environment. The Department has 200 employees, of which 50 are permanent scientific positions. On a yearly basis 20 students complete their Ph.D. and 50 finish their M.Sc. degree

Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellow in semiconductor physics available at Department of Physics/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, as part of the Research Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Technology (FME SUSOLTECH).

The PhD position is of 3 years duration. If the candidate has the necessary qualifications and based on the teaching need of the Department, the candidate can apply for an additional 25 % teaching duty resulting in a total length of the fellowship of 4 years.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Preferred starting date of August 1, 2021, and no later than October 1, 2021.

More about the position

The fellowship is a part of the Norwegian Research Centre for Sustainable Solar Cell Technology (FME-SUSOLTECH). It is based at the Semiconductor Physics Group at the University of Oslo and associated with the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN). FME SUSOLTECH joins the major research groups and important industry partners in the photovoltaic (PV) sector in Norway with the overall goal of increasing the size and number of jobs in the domestic solar cell industry. The Centre has a research infrastructure covering the entire value chain, and provides current and future companies in the Norwegian PV industry long-term access to world-leading technological and scientific expertise. The infrastructure at the University of Oslo includes the Micro- and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MiNaLab) with a clean room area in excess of 400 m2, as well as a multitude of modern characterization facilities.

The PhD fellowship is dedicated to opto-electronic characterization of solar grade silicon. It will focus on characterization of defects and light element impurities (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, etc) in silicon, primarily by Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Other experimental methods will be Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Photoluminescence (PL). The goal is to increase the understanding of the connection between these impurities and various forms of degradation observed in commercial silicon solar cells. The candidate will work closely with researchers at the University of Oslo and key Centre partners to achieve this goal.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

  • Academic credentials in the upper segment of their class (see grade requirements below)
  • Master’s (M.Sc.) degree in physics or material science. Foreign completed degrees (at M.Sc. level) must correspond to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system. Candidates without a Master’s degree have until June 30, 2021 to complete the final exam.
  • Solid understanding of semiconductors
  • Good social and collaboration skills and ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary scientific environment

Desirable qualities:

  • Experience with FT-IR, PL or DLTS
  • Experience with silicon processing and characterization
  • Strong data analysis skills, e.g., using Origin or Python

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2021 to complete the final exam.

Grade and language requirements:

The norm is as follows:

  • the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and a Scandinavian language.
  • For candidates who apply for a fourth year including teaching, good knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is strongly preferred.

Please see this link for more information regarding English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

We offer

  • Salary NOK 482 200 – 526 000 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Career development programmes
  • Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

  • Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
  • Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma
  • Transcripts of grades/records
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Documentation of English proficiency
  • List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
  • Applicants who are interested in teaching need to add to this application a description of their motivation for teaching.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews will be carried out as part of the hiring process.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

For thechnical questions regarding the recruitment system; contact Elin Thoresen, elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no.

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