Working at KU Leuven

• KU Leuven is a research-intensive university that carries out both fundamental and applied research in all academic disciplines, with an interdisciplinary focus.  KU Leuven has been ranked for four consecutive years as the most 'innovative university' in Europe, determined based on patent filings and valorization track (2016 rankings, 2017 rankings, 2018 rankings, 2019 rankings). Leuven Research and Development drives innovation by assisting researchers in valorizing results. The university is ranked as the 5th European university in the Times Higher Education Rankings.
• As the European Capital of Innovation for 2020, Leuven has been awarded for its excellent innovation concepts, processes, and governance models. The city provides a stimulating environment for research and aims on becoming one of Europe's Labs of the Future. 
• KU Leuven is a breeding ground and attractive destination for top talent, including Starting and Consolidator ERC Grantees and hundreds of Marie Curie fellows. About 40% of our researchers come from abroad.

Living in Leuven

• Leuven is a vibrant city located in the heart of Europe. Elected as the best open-minded destination in Europe, Leuven is a tolerant and welcoming multicultural city. Brussels is only 20 minutes by train, whereas Amsterdam (2 hours), London (2 hours) and Paris (1,5 hours) are all within reach. 
• Belgium is a small trilingual country famous for its beers, fries, and chocolates.
• Still not convinced? 'Living in Leuven' offers detailed information for international scholars.
• You may have a quick look at our campus via the KU Leuven virtual tour.

Positions @ Ameloot Group

Postdocs

Position: Atomic layer deposition for next-generation lithography

We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral research fellow to work on the vapor-phase deposition of novel resist materials for Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, starting from the insights from our exploratory study using metal-organic frameworks. This novel type of lithography is deemed to be the future of the semiconductor industry but requires novel materials to reach optimal performance in nanometer-scale patterning. Conventional chemically amplified resists that worked well in the past do not provide high-resolution patterning through EUV lithography. This limitation is mainly due to their multi-component chemistry and acid diffusion mechanism.

In this postdoctoral project, you will focus on the development of vapor-phase deposition method for EUV resists and will be working together with scientists and engineers with complementary expertise in materials synthesis, film deposition, the characterization of novel resist materials, etc. This project will be carried out in collaboration with imec, a leading micro- and nanoelectronics research center located next to the KU Leuven campus.

The project will make use of a unique in-house developed reactor for atomic layer deposition (ALD). In addition to the work on EUV lithography, the project will involve the further development (and potential valorization) of this reactor. Depending on your interests, this aspect can become a larger part of your project. We did not publish information on this ALD reactor yet.

More information on this position can be found here. You can apply for this job no later than June 02, 2023 via the online application tool.

In case you have questions about this job opportunity, please contact Prof. Rob Ameloot via email and mention "Postdoc position ALD & EUV" in the subject line.

Position: Novel plastic sorting methods based on markers

While plastics are arguably the most versatile materials, recycling remains a challenge. In particular, many dark-colored plastics are currently not recycled (i.e., incinerated or landfilled) due to a lack of suitable methods to identify the plastic type and subsequent sorting. Join us to explore novel & more efficient ways to sort and recycle plastics. We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral research fellow to combine the following topics:

(i) Tagging black plastics from waste electronics and automotive shredder residue with different dyes according to a patent filed by our group. You figure out which relevant plastics can be distinguished using this approach as well as its reliability and limitations.

(ii) Tagging and sorting relevant plastics that are currently not yet in our portfolio, you explore other (dye) chemistries as alternative detection mechanisms. In general, you develop a deep understanding of the mechanisms, if necessary, with computational methods.

(iii) You increase the technology readiness level of your process to showcase the feasibility of industrial applications. Besides the science, you keep an eye on the market requirements and set priorities accordingly.

In this postdoctoral project, you will be working together with scientists and engineers with complementary expertise in polymer chemistry and spectroscopy. Part of this project will be carried out in collaboration with industrial players. 

More information on this position can be found here. You can apply for this job no later than June 02, 2023 via the online application tool.

In case you have questions about this job opportunity, please contact Prof. Rob Ameloot via email and mention "Postdoc position plastics sorting" in the subject line.

Position: Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship

Thanks to the Bessel Research Award received from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2021, the Ameloot group can host researchers eligible for a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship. Please get in touch if you are interested and meet the eligibility criteria:

• You hold German citizenship. If you are currently not in Germany, please refer to the FAQ.
• If you are a citizen of a country other than Germany, you are eligible to apply if you are working academically in Germany at the time of application. You should already be integrated into the German academic system and intend to come back into the German academic system after your planned stay abroad. For more information, please see the FAQ.
• To successfully apply, you must not have spent more than 6 months in total in the selected host country within the 18-month period prior to submitting your application. 

Even though there is no deadline for applications, you should apply well in advance. The Selection Committee responsible for reviewing applications to this programme meets every February, June, and October. Applications are usually processed within four to seven months.

Apart from the posted positions, we are always on the lookout for excellent post-docs to apply for a prestigious Marie Curie fellowship together. Only experienced researchers can apply. This means you will have your doctoral degree or at least four years of full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline. Contact us well in advance to propose a topic! More info here and on the Horizon 2020 participant portal.

Research Management

No positions currently available

Technical staff

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PhD students

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Master's students

Please visit the dedicated website and log in with your KU Leuven student account.