Arinna
Details
Position: Research and Development Device Prototyping Engineer
Location: Palo Alto/South San Francisco
Innovation Area: Generation and Conversion; Materials and Chemicals; Built Environment and Infrastructure
Position Type: TomKat Center-supported
Compensation: $8,000
Internship Term: 8 weeks
Arinna is empowering humans and machines with abundant solar energy via its paper-thin power-dense solar panel technology.
Rapidly growing markets such as satellites, electric vehicles, IoT, and wearable electronics urgently demand lightweight solar panels that have a high power-per-weight ratio (specific power). Traditional solar technologies are too bulky, heavy, rigid, or expensive to meet these demands.
Arinna is developing a novel high-specific-power solar panel that is ultra-lightweight, flexible, durable, and eco-friendly. Our proprietary technology, based on ultrathin 2-D materials developed by the semiconductor industry over the past decade, has the potential to achieve 10x higher specific power than incumbent solar technologies at a competitive cost.
Once integrated into vehicles and IoT systems as well as building facades and windows, Arinna’s power-dense solar panels could transform the global energy landscape and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ~ 20%.
www.breakthroughenergy.org/fellows-project/arinna-solar/
Who Is Arinna:
Dr. Alexander Shearer – CTO: Alexander is a chemical engineer and graduating PhD student from Stanford University. His expertise is in materials synthesis and characterization for semiconductor devices. As CTO at Arinna, Alexander is developing and integrating the scalable processes that will be used for fabrication of Arinna’s innovative solar cell technology. Alexander received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in the Plan II Honors program at the University of Texas at Austin. He recently received his PhD from Stanford, as well as a PhD minor in Electrical Engineering, working under Professor Stacey Bent. Outside of the lab, Alexander loves to play volleyball, relax by the water, play new board games, and read about the history of science and innovation.
Dr. Koosha Nassiri Nazif – CEO: Koosha is an expert in design and fabrication of photovoltaic and semiconductor devices, with over 8 years of research experience at Stanford University, Apple, and HP Labs. As Arinna’s CEO, Koosha is responsible for the strategy and business development of their innovative solar technology, among others. Koosha is passionate about developing technological solutions that elevate the human experience and empower individuals and communities. In this pursuit, he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (2014) from Sharif University of Technology, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (2016), and Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering (2021) from Stanford University, working under both Professor Krishna Saraswat and Professor Eric Pop.
Responsibilities
- Assist in the development of scalable materials synthesis processes
- Analyze and interpret experimental data to inform project decisions
- Design and execute experiments to troubleshoot synthetic challenges and to optimize solar cell device performance
- Prepare technical reports/presentations to precisely communicate your findings and experimental approach
- Collaborate with the engineering team to iterate on synthetic processes
Who should apply
This is an opportunity to work at the forefront of renewable energy technology, contributing directly to the development of our novel solar power technology. At Arinna, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of engineers and make a tangible impact. Together, we are striving to find a path towards the scalable manufacturing of a new kind of solar technology. We're looking for a creative and highly motivated researcher with the ability to dive deep, learn fast, and think critically about material synthesis and device innovation. The successful candidate will work in a hands-on laboratory setting closely with other engineers. The successful candidate will also be interested in the world of entrepreneurship, as they may be introduced to topics such as start-up funding, customer identification and acquisition, market analysis, go-to-market-strategy, product development, scaling, and more.
Required expertise
- Creative problem-solving skills and a passion for innovation
- Eagerness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
Preferred skills/Majors
- Currently pursuing a degree in chemistry/chemical engineering, material science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field
- Strong foundation in material science, chemistry, process engineering, or device physics.
- Hands-on experience with lab work, especially in synthesis and characterization, is a plus.
- experience with imaging (electron or atomic force microscopy)
- experience with optical characterization (spectroscopic ellipsometry or UV/VIS spectroscopy)
- experience with chemical or surface characterization (x-ray photoelectron or auger electron spectroscopy, goniometry)
- experience with electrical characterization (I–V measurements)