Job offer

Organisation/Company: IMT Nord Europe

Research Field: Technology » Materials technology

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2), Leading Researcher (R4), First Stage Researcher (R1), Established Researcher (R3)

Country: France

Application Deadline: 30 Apr 2025 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Offer Starting Date: 1 Sep 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The development of autonomous or self-powered IoT sensors represents a key challenge, and energy harvesting technologies are attractive for converting mechanical, thermal, radiofrequency, solar, magnetic, or fluid flow energy into electrical energy. A next generation of functional materials and low-cost devices with a better balance between environmental footprints, materials/processing costs, and technical performances is required for large-scale deployment of energy harvesters. In this context, IMTNE & IMTA have been involved for several years in various research projects (e.g., BIOHARV & THERMOHARV INTERREG projects, GENEPI ANR project, OPAL, SAFIRS) dealing with sustainable vibrational and thermal gradient energy harvesters.

Following these initiatives, a collaboration between IMT NE and IMTA has been initiated to develop radiofrequency harvesters based on three-dimensional (3D) shaped rectennas. However, the limitations of current technologies hinder the development of 3D antennas that offer higher gain and improved omnidirectionality compared to flat antennas. To address this challenge, the project proposes an innovative combination of additive manufacturing and screen printing. A shape-memory polymer substrate will be printed in a flattened form, screen-printed with conductive inks, and then redeployed to regain its initial 3D shape. The objective is to produce high-performance, cost-effective devices with complex geometries. Preliminary studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this concept, yielding promising results while also highlighting areas for improvement, such as dimensional control, ink adhesion, and 3D device performance.

Scientific and Technological Missions

1. Understanding the relation between the process parameters (VAT polymerization 3D printing) and the properties of the 3D polymer substrate (dimension and geometry accuracy, surface roughness, crosslinking rate, etc.).
2. Evaluate the correlation between the polymer structure and recovery rate and kinetics as a function of the applied stimuli.
3. Allow significant deformation of the polymer substrate without degrading the RF performance of the conductive tracks.
4. Establish a correlation between the design of the deposited conductor tracks, the geometry of the polymer substrate, and overall RF performance.

Valorization activities are expected at national/international events, and teaching opportunities at L2 to M2 levels will also be possible in the frame of the IMT NE & IMTA formations.

Required Skills

• Polymer synthesis, VAT polymerization, characterizations of polymers (DSC, FTIR, rheology, crosslinking rate determinations, etc.), oral & written communication skills.
• Process, screen printing, inkjet printing.
• Physics and chemistry of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers, processing technologies of polymers, shape memory polymers.
• Electromagnetism basics.