Postdoc Integrated Sensor and Readout ICs for Robotics Smart Skin

This postdoc opportunity focuses on shaping the future of robotic tactile intelligence.

Are you an expert in IC design and integrated sensors? Do you want to give robots a human-like sense of touch?

Job description

This project aims to develop a sensor + readout IC system for revolutionary flexible electronic skin (Smart Skin) for advanced robotics. Deploying "smart skin" across a robot's entire chassis creates severe engineering challenges. Scaling up to thousands of tactile sensors typically results in massive wiring overhead, high latency, and vulnerability to environmental electromagnetic interference (EMI) and power supply noise.

Your role will be to design integrated sensors and mixed-signal readout ICs that fundamentally address these issues. We aim to develop novel circuit architectures—such as localized digitization, event-driven/asynchronous readout, and high-voltage/high-noise-immune topologies—to deliver a robust, ultra-low-latency, and high-dynamic-range tactile processing system.

Key responsibilities

• IC Architecture & Design: Design, simulate, and lay out low-power mixed-signal ICs, including low-noise front-ends, high-resolution and energy-efficient ADCs, and localized data processing/multiplexing tailored for matrix sensor arrays.
• Sensor Co-Integration: Collaborate with materials and sensor experts to integrate CMOS chips with flexible/stretchable tactile sensor arrays, including capacitive, piezoelectric, or piezoresistive technologies.
• Tape-out & Characterization: Manage chip tape-outs (e.g., TSMC, GlobalFoundries, or specialized high-voltage/BCD processes if applicable) and conduct rigorous benchtop electrical characterization and robotic system-level validation.
• Mentorship & Publication: Co-supervise PhD and Master students and publish high-impact papers in top-tier solid-state circuits and sensor journals and conferences, including JSSC, ISSCC, TCAS, and IEEE Sensors.

Why join us?

• Impact: Your work will directly influence the hardware architecture of future consumer electronics.
• Expertise: You will work alongside a world-class team with extensive experience in mixed-signal IC design and audio systems.
• Facilities: You will have access to state-of-the-art cleanrooms, high-end measurement equipment such as Audio Precision and high-speed oscilloscopes, and advanced CMOS process nodes.

Job requirements

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a "silicon-first" mindset. To be successful in this role, you must possess:

• Solid foundation in analog IC design, including deep understanding of MOSFET physics, amplifiers, voltage references, and frequency compensation.
• Proven mixed-signal design experience with blocks such as ADCs, DACs, comparators, or oscillators, including familiarity with the interaction between digital control logic and analog power stages.
• System modeling skills, with proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink or Verilog-A for top-level architectural verification.
• Expert-level hands-on experience with Cadence Virtuoso (Spectre/APS), Mentor Graphics, or similar industry-standard toolsets.
• A Master’s degree or equivalent in Electrical Engineering or Microelectronics with a focus on Integrated Circuits.
• Preferred but not mandatory: prior experience in ultrasonic sensors and readout ICs, and capacitive or resistive sensor and readout ICs.

About the employer

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) offers research opportunities, excellent labs and facilities, and a strong international environment relevant to future chips and sensors, AI, and applied mathematics.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 18 months temporary.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.