Philippe FlückigerSince 1999 Philippe Flückiger is the Director of Operations at the EPFL Center of MicroNanoTechnology, a world-class state-of-the-art cleanroom dedicated to research and development in the field of Micro and NanoFabrication. He received his diploma in physics from the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1987 and his PhD from the same University in 1993. His thesis work was dedicated to the deposition, patterning and characterization of high temperature superconductor epitaxial thin films. From 1993 to 1994 he was a post doc at Stanford University to develop submicron lithography with the atomic force microscope in the group of Calvin Quate, inventor of the AFM. From 1995 to 1997 he was successively process engineer, project manager and process engineering manager at Micronas SA in Bevaix, Switzerland, a microelectronics company producing baseband processors and voltage regulators for wireless applications, mostly ASICs for Nokia Mobile Phones. In 1997 he spent 4 months in the production line of EM Microelectronic Marin SA, Switzerland, a semiconductor manufacturer specialized in the design and production of ultra low power, low voltage integrated circuits for battery-operated and field-powered applications. He joined then the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) to start the new activity in diffusion, oxidation and CVD at the Center of MicroNanoTechnology. He was appointed Director of Operations of the Center in 1999.
Sebastian GautschSebastian Gautsch is section adjunct in Microengineering at EPFL. He received his M.A.Sc. Degree in Electronical physics from the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1998. He did his Ph.D. degree in the field of micro-mechanical systems at the Institute of Microtechnology (IMT), University of Neuchâtel, in 2001. His PHD thesis was done in collaboration with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena and led to the successful operation of an Atomic Force Microscope on the Phoenix Mission to the Planet Mars in 2008. This achievement had a broad impact in the media. In parallel to his research activities he pursued an international swimming career until 2003. He then acquired the Federal Certificate in Sport Coaching in 2007 delivered by the Swiss Olympic Federation and coached the Elite Swimming Team of Red-Fish Neuchâtel between 2004 and 2009. He was instrumental in initiating and coordinating the Cantonal Olympic Project to support potential olympians. He was part of the coaching delegation at several international events for the Swiss Swimming National Team and qualified more than 20 swimmers for European, World Championships and the Olympic Games of Beijing in 2008. Between 2004 and 2013 he successfully led the research activities in the field of Tools for Nanoscience at the Institute of Microengineering of EPFL at the Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Laboratory (SAMLAB) of Prof. Nico de Rooij. In 2011, he led the R&D activities in Electron Beam Lithography for the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM). He was instrumental in creating the Swiss Chapter of the Mars Society in 2011 and is currently Vice President. Between 2011 and 2018 he lectured at the Bern University of Applied Science in the field of Micro and Medical Technology.Between 2012 and 2020 he coordinated the Industrial Internships Program for Master students at the School of Engineering. He was instrumental in setting up coordinated master thesis in industry, the Engineering Industry Day, and the sustainable internships label. Between 2018 and 2020 he coordinated academic outreach initiatives like the E3 research internship program and the Engineering PhD Summit . Google Scholar publication page: