Doctoral/Postdoctoral Position in Fully Integrated Power Management and Precision References for Single-Photon RGB-D Image Sensors

**Doctoral/Postdoctoral Position in Fully Integrated Power Management and Precision References for Single-Photon RGB-D Image Sensors** ====================================================================================================================================== #### **100%, Zurich, fixed-term** The Energy-Efficient Circuits and Intelligent Systems Group (EECIS) at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET), ETH Zurich, invites applications for a doctoral or postdoctoral position in the area of fully integrated power conversion and precision on-chip references. The position is part of an international industry-academia research project developing a next-generation single-chip RGB-D image sensor for robotics. **Project background** ---------------------- Robots in manufacturing need to see colour and depth at the same time, reliably, both indoors and in bright sunlight. Today this usually takes several separate sensors. The project develops a monolithic RGB-D sensor System-on-Chip that combines colour imaging with direct time-of-flight (dToF) depth sensing on a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array. SPAD arrays need a high bias voltage, which today is usually supplied by external components. Robots also expose the sensor to large changes in temperature and supply voltage. Within the project, our group is responsible for the core analog building blocks of the sensor chip. This position focuses on two of them. The first is a fully integrated DC-DC converter based on on-chip inductors that generates the SPAD supply on-chip with a high power density. The second is a bandgap reference and an on-chip temperature sensor with high accuracy, which together keep the sensor robust across process, voltage and temperature variations. **Job description** ------------------- * Develop the architectures and specifications of the on-chip DC-DC converter, bandgap reference and temperature sensor in close exchange with the industrial chip design partner * Investigate new techniques for high-density, fully integrated power conversion and for precise, low-power references and temperature sensing * Design, layout and tape out the circuits in advanced CMOS technology, and characterize the chips in our measurement lab * Refine the designs based on measurement results and support their integration into the sensor SoC * Publish your results at leading venues of the field and present them at international conferences * Contribute to the teaching activities of the group **Profile** ----------- * Master’s or Ph.D degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field, with excellent grades * Solid background in analog integrated circuit design * Experience with power management ICs, DC-DC converters, voltage references or sensor interfaces is a strong advantage * Hands-on experience with Cadence Virtuoso or similar tools. Experience with EM simulation, tape-outs or lab measurements is a plus * Strong analytical skill