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Advanced Characterization of Liquid-Gated Extended-Gate FET Sensors

Research / Doctorate 25 to 36 months

Leuven (Belgium)

Published on 2 September 2026

  • Contract

    Research / Doctorate 25 to 36 months

  • Location

    Leuven (Belgium)

  • Start date

    As soon as possible

  • Salary

    Information not provided

  • Remote working

    Not specified

Liquid-gated extended-gate Field-Effect Transistors (EGFETs) leverage the robustness and scalability of commercial CMOS technology while enabling direct interaction with (bio)chemical environments using an exposed electrode which is connected to the FET's gate. By post-processing commercial CMOS wafers we fabricated EGFET chips with varying EGFET dimensions. This internship focuses on the advanced electrical and electrochemical characterization of these liquid-gated EGFET sensors, aiming to evaluate their potential as fully integrated pH and ion sensing platforms. During this project the student will electrically characterize standard liquid-gated FET operation, sensor stability and sensitivity across varying electrolyte conditions pH and ionic strength. The electrical measurements will be executed on a probe station while a microfluidic setup enables the automated exchange between different electrolyte conditions. Crucial for the EGFET's pH and ion sensing performance is the type and quality of the exposed electrode surface. Therefore, the influence of electrode surface functionalization on EGFET performance will be explored. Benchmarks include Nernstian response, drift, hysteresis, and noise characteristics. The results will contribute to the development of a next-generation fully-integrated ion and pH sensing platform.

Type of internship: Master internship, PhD internship

Duration: > 5 months

Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, Bioscience Engineering

University promotor: Pol Van Dorpe (KU Leuven)

Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Koen Martens (< email deleted for security reasons >) and Sybren Santermans (< email deleted for security reasons >)

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-027. Mention this reference code in your application.

Imec allowance will be provided for students studying at a non-Belgian university.

Applications should include the following information:
  • resume
  • motivation
  • current study

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application deadline

As long as the job is online

Study level

Master level or equivalent

Job Category

Technology

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