Thesis Opportunities

In our new SFB (collaborative research programme) on Functional Oxide Surfaces and Interfaces we will study properties of and processes on oxide surfaces with relevance to technological applications. Our focus will be on zirconia (ZrO₂) surfaces. The work will first focus on growth of ultrathin zirconia films by oxidation of a zirconium alloy or zirconium deposited on a more inert metal. The zirconia films will be characterized by STM on the atomic scale. This work will be the basis for adsorption of simple gases (O₂, H₂, CO) on ZrO₂ and the study of nanostructures formed by deposition of metals on the zirconia films.

Experience in surface physics/chemistry and UHV will be appreciated.

Employment by TU Wien, salary according to Austrian Science Fund terms (approx. EUR 26200 gross for PhD students)

Oxides with the perovskite structure (ABO₃) exhibit a wide spectrum of physical and chemical properties, making them useful for a variety of applications. Standard surface preparation methods by sputtering (ion bombardment) and annealing usually fail on these materials because they alter the stoichiometry and thereby the properties of the material. Therefore, a new Laser-MBE system for growing such films will be coupled to an existing ultrahigh vacuum system for characterization or the films without further sample preparation. The films will be mainly studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). As a further preparation technique, perovskite crystals cleaved ultrahigh vacuum should be studied by STM.

Experience in surface physics/chemistry and UHV techniques will be appreciated.

Employment by TU Wien, salary according to Austrian Science Fund terms (approx. EUR 26200 gross for PhD students, 46000 for postdocs)

Things are changing rapidly at the moment, and we don't want to have outdated information online. Thus, we give only a short overview of our current fields:

• Oxide surfaces: watching processes on the atomic scale
• Graphene layers for EUV lithography
• Magnetic properties of ferromagnetic nanostructures
• Watching diffusion of single atoms

If you consider these topics interesting, please contact us!

• Ulrike Diebold ([email address: lastname @ this server · enable javascript to see it])
  Tel. (01) 58801-13425
  Location: Freihaus, Turm B, 5. OG; after leaving the yellow elevator turn left twice and ring the bell.

• Michael Schmid ([email address: lastname @ this server · enable javascript to see it])
  Tel. (01) 58801-13452
  Location: Freihaus, Turm C, 4. OG; after leaving the red elevator turn right twice and ring the bell.

• Peter Varga ([email address: lastname @ this server · enable javascript to see it])
  Tel. (01) 58801-13450
  Location: Freihaus, Turm B, 5. OG; after leaving the yellow elevator turn left twice and ring the bell.