PhD Studentship - Corrosion of Power Electronics Systems under Humidity and Gases

PhD scholarship in Corrosion of Power Electronics Systems under Humidity and Gases

If you are looking for an exciting opportunity for PhD, we at Materials and Surface Engineering section, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark is seeking candidate for one PhD position to work on corrosion failure mechanisms of Power Electronic components under humidity and gas conditions. Environmental effects on electronics are an important area today due to the widespread use of electronics such as electrification of vehicles and use in connection with renewable energy systems, therefore the PhD position provides opportunity to work in this exciting area in collaboration with major industries. This PhD project is part of Center for Climate Robust Electronic Design project funded by Poul Due Jensen’s Foundation, Denmark. 

Responsibilities and qualifications

Environmental factors like humidity and gases impact the performance of electronic devices by causing corrosion, which is influenced by the operating parameters of electronic components, such as voltage and power, particularly in PCBAs. New application areas for electronics mean exposure to not only humidity, but also gases such as H2S, SO2, NOx etc. Together with humidity or without, these gases cause corrosion issues if susceptible materials and components exist on electronic parts such as IGBTs or other. Failure mechanisms when humidity and gas involved are more complex and less understood. A significant failure mode is electrochemical migration, which leads to short circuits and fire risk. The morphology and chemistry of dendrites are determined by the humidity and gas conditions, which influence subsequent electrical failure.

This PhD project will investigate the effect H2S, SO2, and NOx gases with and without humidity on mechanistic aspects such as the effect on electrochemical migration (ECM) failure mechanism and their implications for short-circuiting and functional degradation in power electronics components. The study will specifically examine gas corrosion mechanisms in connection with copper and silver, while investigation also will be carried out on specific electronic components such as chip resistors, IGBT substrates etc. Work will also involve electrochemical modelling using existing models and using AI based tools. The focus of the work will be to cater to the needs to high voltage/power in power electronic systems, while avoiding humidity and gas exposure related robustness issues. 

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. 

Specialization should be in Materials Science and engineering or chemistry or related subjects such as corrosion science and engineering. Masters in electronics engineering with prior experience on humidity/corrosion reliability of electronics is also suitable. For all qualifications, prior experience of corrosion of electronics or similar topics is an advantage. A combination of knowledge in electronics, materials, corrosion, and reliability is preferred. 

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

Period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is expected to be 1 October 2025 or according to mutual agreement. 

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Professor Rajan Ambat, raam@dtu.dk or Dr. Kapil Kumar Gupta, kkgup@dtu.dk.

Application procedure 

To apply, please read the full job advertisement via the 'Apply' button above.

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