Fabrication and Nanoscale Patterning of Indium Tin Oxide for Nanophotonic Applications

The Challenge

Transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) represent a highly promising material platform for nanophotonics, uniquely combining optical transparency, electrical conductivity, and tunable optical properties. Through careful control of deposition parameters and post-fabrication treatments, key material characteristics can be engineered over a wide range, making ITO attractive for a variety of advanced photonic applications. However, achieving targeted material performance remains challenging due to the strong sensitivity of ITO to processing conditions. Variations in deposition and post-processing can significantly affect carrier concentration, electrical conductivity, optical losses, and the position of the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) region. Furthermore, nanopatterning ITO into metasurface architectures offers a powerful additional degree of freedom for tailoring light-matter interactions, while simultaneously altering the material's optical and electrical properties. Developing a comprehensive understanding of how fabrication, post-processing, and nanoscale structuring jointly govern the optical response of ITO therefore remains a key challenge for next-generation photonic and metasurface technologies.

What You Will Do

In this MSc thesis/internship project, you will experimentally investigate the fabrication and nanoscale engineering of ITO thin films. The project will focus on studying the dependencies between processing conditions, material properties, and optical performance through a combination of thin-film deposition, post-processing, nanopatterning, and material characterization.

You will:

• Study the influence of deposition parameters on the optical and electrical properties of ITO thin films
• Investigate post-processing treatments for tailoring carrier concentration, conductivity, and optical response
• Characterize the morphological, optical, and electrical properties of ITO
• Explore nanopatterning processes using lithography and assess how nanoscale structuring influences material performance

Your experimental work will be complemented by data analysis, allowing you to identify and understand the relationships between fabrication conditions, nanoscale structuring, and the resulting optical and electronic properties of ITO. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work in an international research environment, collaborating with experienced researchers and engineers while receiving valuable guidance throughout your scientific development.

What You Should Bring Along

You are a motivated and curious MSc student with a passion for hands-on experimental research. You have a background in nanoscience, engineering, physics, materials science, chemistry, or a related field. Prior experience with laboratory work, materials characterization, data analysis, or scientific programming is an asset. You are eager to learn, enjoy challenges, and possess strong communication skills and a good command of English.