Dominic Waldhör Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Publications

Biography Dominic Waldhör was born in Linz, Austria in 1992. He studied at the TU Wien, Vienna, Austria where he received the BSc degree in Electrical Engineering and the Diplomingenieur degree in Microelectronics and Photonics in 2018. He joined the Institute for Microelectronics in October 2018 where he works as PhD student. His current research focuses on the ab initio simulation of oxide defects in semiconductor devices.

Atomistic modeling now serves as a critical link between fundamental materials science and device-level technology development. By leveraging density-functional theory (DFT), we determine essential material parameters like the electronic band structures, dielectric constants and phonon spectra that directly inform our TCAD and compact device models. This approach is particularly valuable for novel two-dimensional semiconductors, where experimental measurements are often challenging or unavailable.

In addition to studying ideal crystal lattices, we investigate material interfaces and characterize point defects in both crystalline and amorphous phases. From DFT-derived potential-energy surfaces and nudged-elastic-band calculations, we uncover defect charge states, transition barriers, and the dynamics of defect formation and other chemical reactions. These insights form the physical foundation of our reliability and lifetime models.

By anchoring our device models in first-principles calculations, we translate atomic-scale insights into predictive design guidance for next-generation devices and integrated circuits.