PhD Position in MEMS-Based Transmission Electron Imaging and Electron Microscopy Instrumentation Delft University of Technology in Netherlands

Delft University of Technology is offering a PhD position focused on developing a compact projection system for high-resolution transmission electron imaging in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The project aims to bring transmission electron techniques—including electron diffraction, low-energy scanning transmission electron microscopy, and phase-contrast imaging—to more accessible and affordable SEM platforms.

The doctoral researcher will work at the intersection of electron optics, MEMS technology, microscopy instrumentation, and imaging physics. The core objective is to design, simulate, fabricate, and experimentally validate a MEMS-based transmission electron projection column that can be integrated into a conventional SEM. The resulting system is intended to combine high-resolution transmission imaging with complementary modalities such as light microscopy, cathodoluminescence, and focused ion beam processing.

The four-year research programme progresses from analytical and numerical modelling to hardware realization and experimental validation. The researcher will develop electron-optical models, perform large-scale simulations using commercial software and custom Python tools, and use DelftBlue high-performance computing infrastructure for optimization. Later work will involve designing and fabricating electron-optical components through advanced MEMS technology, precision machining, or both, supported by cleanroom and microfabrication facilities.

In the final phase, the prototype will be assembled, tested, and validated inside an SEM. Experimental measurements will be compared with numerical predictions to refine the physical models and improve the instrument design. The project offers substantial hands-on exposure to electronics, vacuum hardware, precision engineering, experimental instrumentation, and next-generation microscopy systems.

The PhD researcher will join the Gheidari Lab within the Microscopy Instrumentation and Techniques (MInT) Group in TU Delft’s Department of Imaging Physics, and will collaborate closely with TU Delft researchers and engineers at Delmic, a company specializing in correlative and multimodal microscopy. The research environment combines academic investigation with industrial development, including opportunities to publish in international journals, present at scientific conferences, and contribute to laboratory teaching and the supervision of bachelor’s and master’s students.

The position is based at TU Delft in the Netherlands and is connected to the Faculty of Applied Sciences and its research activities in nanoscience, photonics, materials, radiation science, and engineering physics.