Prof. Dr. Oliver Paul
Curriculum Vitae
Main professional stations
| 1986 | Diploma in physics (ETH Zurich) |
| 1990 | PhD (Dr. sc. nat.), ETH Zurich, solid-state physics |
| 1991-1992 | Postdoc at FhG-ISE, Freiburg, Germany |
| 1992-1998 | Postdoc, group leader, senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| 1998-date | Full professor, at Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg, Germany |
| 1999-2002 | Dean of Studies |
| 2006-2008 | Director of IMTEK |
| 2016-2018 | Dean of Faculty of Engineering |
| 2022-date | Excellence Cluster Advisory Team, Permanent Tenure Committee, Structural Committee, University of Freiburg |
Teaching at University of Freiburg
Short CV (click to open)
Current research interests
- Microsystems for physical sensing and biomedical applications
- Materials and fabrication technologies for microsystems
- Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based on commercial IC processes
- Foundations of complex sensing effects
- Statistical theories of measurement processes
PhD Students
| Martin von Arx | 1998, “Thermophysical Property Characterization of CMOS Thin Films”, supervision as a senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| Niklaus Schneeberger | 1998, “CMOS Microsystems for Thermal Presence Detection”, supervision as a senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| Felix Mayer | 1998, “Thermal CMOS Anemometers”, supervision as a senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| Volker Ziebart | 1999, “Mechanical Properties of CMOS Thin Films”, supervision as a senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| Michael Mayer | 2000, “Microelectronic Bonding Processes Monitored by Integrated Sensors”, supervision as a senior scientist at Physical Electronics Lab (Prof. Dr. H. Baltes), ETH Zurich |
| Torsten Kramer | 2003, “Mechanical Properties of Compressive Silicon Nitride Thin Films” |
| Simon Armbruster | 2005, “Micromachining of Monocrystalline Silicon Membranes for Sensor Applications using Porous Silicon” |
| Ulrich Wagner | 2005, “Mechanical Reliability of MEMS Structures under Shock Load” |
| Julian Bartholomeyczik | 2006, “Advanced CMOS-Based Stress Sensing Methods and Applications” |
| Michael Doelle | 2006, “Field Effect Transistor Based CMOS Stress Sensors” |
| Achim Trautmann | 2006, “Advance Microneedle and Microelectrode Arrays” |
| Simon Brugger | 2008, “Field Concentrator Based Resonant Magnetic Sensors” |
| Martin Cornils | 2009, “Sheet Resistance and Hall Mobility Determination Beyond van der Pauw” |
| Filip Granek | 2009, “High-Efficiency Back-Contact Back-Junction Silicon Solar Cells |
| Jochen Held | 2010, “Microneedle Electrode Arrays for Cellular Recording Applications ” |
| Sebastian Kisban | 2010, “Silicon-Based Neural Devices: Packaging and Application” |
| Ulrich Bartsch | 2010, “Electret Based Resonant Micro Energy Harvesting in Two Dimensions” |
| Stefan Hillebrecht | 2010, “Interconnect Reliability and Test”, co-supervised with Prof. Dr. B. Becker, Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, Germany |
| Benjamin Lemke | 2012, “CMOS Out-of-plane Stress Sensor Systems for IC Package Analysis” |
| Stanislav Herwik | 2012, “Silicon MEMS Technologies for Novel Neural Probes” |
| Marc Baumann | 2013, “Robust Piezoresistive CMOS Sensor Microsystems” |
| Karsten Seidl | 2013, “CMOS-based Intracerebral Neural Probes” |
| Timo Kaufmann | 2013, “On the Offset and Sensitivity of CMOS-based Five-contact Ver-tical Hall Devices” |
| Matthias Herrmann | 2014, “Silicon-based 3D Tactile Sensors for Coordinate Measurement Applications” |
| Frank Feldmann | 2015, “Carrier-selective Contacts for High-efficiency Si Solar Cells” |
| Jochen Stephan | 2015, “Mechanical Sensing Based on the Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy NiMnGa” |
| Pascal Gieschke | 2015, “Smart Orthodontic Brackets” |
| Samuel Huber | 2016, “Active Stabilization of the Magnetic Sensitivity of CMOS Hall Sensors” |
| Christian Sander | 2017, “Multi-axial Hall Devices in Silicon Technology” |
| Simon Genter | 2018, “Parylene-C as the Electret Material for Micro Energy Harvesters” |
| Adb Sayed Herbawi | 2020, “High-density CMOS Probes for Large-Scale Extracellular Neural Recording” |
| Felix Becker | 2020, “Miniaturized Force/Moment Transducers for Instrumented Teeth” |
| Michael Schwärzle | 2020, “Integration of Optoelectronics into Medical Research Devices for Optogenetic Experiments” |
| Frederick Pothof | 2020, “A Cylindrical High-resolution Intracranial Implant for Neural Recording and Stimulation” |
| Suleman Ayub | 2021, “Implantable Multi-LED Devices for Optogenetic Studies” |
| Falk Barz | 2022, “Advanced Silicon-based Intracerebral Probes for Large-scale Neural Recording” |
| Julian Hafner | 2022, “Telemetric Smart Orthodontic Bracket” |
| Eric Klein | 2023, “Flexible µLED-based Optical Cochlear Implant for High-Resolution Stimulation” |
| Moritz Berger | 2023, “Advanced Calibration Methods for Nonlinear Multisensor Systems” |
| Stephan Maus | 2024, “Untersuchung und Modellierung der Ladungsträgerrekombination durch Sauerstoffpräzipitatbildung in Cz-Si während Hochtemperaturprozessen in photovoltaischer Anwendung” |
| Kirti Sharma | 2025 |
| Andreas Bucherer | in progress |
| Marc Keller | in progress |
| Tim Winter | in progress |
| Anja Fleck | in progress |
| Ivânia Trêpo | in progress |
Postdocs
| Jinling Yang | 1999-2002 | Mechanical thin film characterization |
| Joao Gaspar | 2004-2011 | Mechanical micromaterial characterization |
| Sommawan Khumpuang | 2007-2009 | Microneedle fabrication and replication |
| Florian Larramendy | 2013-2016 | Cell cage microstructures |
| Zoltan Fekete | 2013-2015 | Neural probes |
| Maurizio Gullo | 2014-2017 | Biohybrids |
| Laurent Osberger | 2018-2020 | CMOS-based magnetic sensors |
| Pekka Pursula | Ultrasonic MEMS transducers |
Research Topics
| 2018-date | XMR (X = T, G) sensors, physics, calibration, and data fusion |
| 2016-date | Multisensory system calibration, sensor system modeling, predictive uncertainty estimation, Bayesian methods and machine learning for sensor calibration in industiral production, half-blind calibration |
| 2013-date | Technologies for biohybrid microsystems, cell cage technology using advanced optical lithography, mechanical micro and nanostructures for biohybrids by two-photon lithography, multilevel electrophysiological microstructures for brain organoids |
| 2006-date | MEMS technology based tools for neuroscience, intracortical electrophysiology probes, deep neural probes, CMOS-integrated neural probes, neural probes with integrated III-V semiconductor based miniaturized light sources (µLEDs), dedicated microfabrication and hybrid integration technologies, multifuntional neural probes with electrophysiological, optical and fluidic functionalities, dedicated insertion tools |
| 2005-2008 | Micromachined, FeB magnetic concentrator based resonant magnetic sensors |
| 2003-date | Mechanical microsensors for stress, force, torque, and pressure sensing and for compensation of mechanical cross-sensitivities of semiconductor Hall-effect sensors, mechanical sensor systems for orthodontics (telemetric smart brackets, smart teeth, smart typodonts), piezo-FETs, microsensors for out-of-plane stress components, test chips for microelectronic packaging testing |
| 2003-2009 | Fabrication technologies for silicon based transdermal and cell-penetrating microneedles |
| 2000-date | Semiconductor magnetic sensors, silicon and GaAs Hall-effect sensors, theory and applications of galvanomagnetic and piezogalvanomagnetic effect in semiconductors |
| 1999-2011 | Mechanical characterization and reliability testing of micromaterials, mechanics of compressive thin films, thin plate theories, membrane load deflection testing (bulge test), microtensile testing, fracture mechanics, shock testing, cyclic fatigue testing of micromaterials and microstructures |
| 1992-1998 | Thermophysical and mechanical characterization of CMOS thin films, CMOS-based thermal gas flow sensor, infrared detector, pressure sensor systems, and resonant microhydrometers, CMOS-compatible MEMS microfabrication technologies, sacrificial aluminum surface micromachining |
| 1991-1992 | Technology and theory of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, boron back-surface field, optimized surface texturing strategies (postdoc, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Freiburg, Germany) |
| 1987-1991 | Surface and ultra-thin film magnetism, Auger and secondary electron sprectroscopy (PhD thesis and postdoc, ETH Zurich, Paul-Scherrer Institute) |
| 1986 | 1D spin waves in CsMnxMg1-xBr3, neutron scattering (diploma thesis, ETH Zurich) |
Teaching at University of Freiburg
| 2022-date | Sensorik, M.Sc.-level MST engineering curriculum |
| 2021-date | Bayesian Methods for Engineers, elective, M.Sc.-level engineering curricula |
| 2015-date | Silicon Neural Probe Technology, elective, M.Sc.-level engineering curricula, taught by senior scientist Dr. P. Ruther |
| 2008-date | Semiconductors, B.Sc.-level engineering curricula |
| 2007-date | Solid-State Physics, B.Sc.-level engineering curricula |
| 2005-date | Advanced Silicon Technologies, elective, M.Sc.-level engineering curricula, taught by senior scientist Dr. P. Ruther |
| 2004-date | Quantum mechanics for Engineers, elective, M.Sc.-level engineering curricula |
| 2002-2022 | CMOS MEMS, elective, M.Sc.-level engineering curricula |
| 1998-2007 | Material Science Fundamentals, B.Sc.-level MEMS engineering curriculum |
Miscellaneous
| Conference Co-chair | IEEE MEMS Conference 2004, Maastricht, with Prof. Paddy French (TU Delft) |
| Conference TPCs and steering committees | Numerous |
| Scientific paper reviewing | Countless |
| Project reviewing | Substantial |
| Three largest projects | Institute for Brain-Machine Interfacing Technology IMBIT, (2015-date), 36 M€ (91b-Antrag), acquisition with Prof. W. Burgard (computer science), Prof. T. Ball (medicine), and Prof. I. Diester (biology) Excellence Cluster BrainLinks-BrainTools, (2012-2017), 30 M€ (German excellence cluster initiative), acquisition with team of colleagues from IMTEK, Computer Science, Biology, and Medicine, member of executive committee PhD Research Training Program (Graduiertenkolleg) 1103 “Embedded Microsystems” (2005-2014), 11 M€, acquisition and co-leadership with Prof. W. Burgard, computer science |
| Spin-offs | Sensirion, 1998, co-founder Atlas Neuroengineering, 2012, co-founder |
| Substantial industrial support | TDK-Micronas, Melexis, Intel, Zeiss IMT, EM-Microelectronic Marin SA, Austria Microsysteme |
| Membership | IEEE, senior member |
| Journal editorial boards | Elsevier Sensors and Actuators A (2005-2016) IOP J. Micromech. Microeng (2006-2016) Transactions of the IEE Japan (2007-2016) |
| Publications | List of publications |
| Patents | Energy Harvesting: JP2016-1640066677125, CN201780051570-5 Magnetic sensing: DE102014010547A1, US9709639B2 Magnetic sensing: EP2806283B1, US9494661B2 Magnetic sensing: EP2546670B1, US9097753B2, JP5430038B2, CN102881818B Magnetic sensing: DE102011101604A1 Tactile sensing: DE102013215959A1 Force sensing: EP2570786B1, DE102011112935B4, US8915152 B2, CN102998036B Smart bracket: EP1505921B1 Magnetic sensing: EP2546669B1, US9689931B2, CN102881817B |