From NE co-op positions to camera innovation-Alumni shapes the future of camera technology
Darshan Parmar, Class of 2019, works as a Pixel Development Engineer at Apple. He develops innovative new camera technologies that are used by millions of people around the world. He credits a large part of his success to experiences and the connections he made in the Nanotechnology Engineering (NE) Program at the University of Waterloo. It was another NE alumnus who referred him to his current job.
The co-op jobs Parmar enjoyed during his undergrad degree were foundational to his career journey. He had an exciting co-op position in Singapore at the National University of Singapore as a research assistant. He worked in optical system development at Lumentum in Ottawa and as an optics specialist at P & P Optica.
Parmar went on to pursue a PhD after he graduated from the NE Program. He completed his PhD by developing Quantum Dot Photodiodes for Infrared Applications. During his PhD, he kept the UWaterloo spirit alive by pursuing internships at Sony Electronics where he worked on CMOS image sensors, and ST Microelectronics where he developed quantum film contacts for an innovative new type of image sensor that used quantum dots instead of silicon.
We asked Parmar to expand on his journey in the NE Program.
Darshan Parmar
Why did you choose the NE program at UWaterloo?
I chose the Nanotechnology Engineering program at UWaterloo because it offered the engineering training I was looking for while also providing students with opportunities to apply this knowledge directly in the industry through co-ops. I was essentially looking for a program that would ground me in complex theories explaining the world around us, while also showing how to leverage that understanding for real-world applications.
I was fascinated by silicon chips—the tiny, almost magical devices that power our computers, cameras, cell phones, and so much more. It amazed me that we could manufacture these devices with precision and use them to enable everything from computation to imaging. I learned that UWaterloo’s NE program was one of the few in the world that actually taught the detailed chemistry and physics behind fabricating and programming these devices at the undergraduate level. It was also one of the only programs to train undergrads in advanced facilities, like cleanrooms, allowing us to gain the hands-on experience that is so valuable in the industry.
What was the best part of your experience in the NE program?
My favorite part of the NE program was the senior-year labs. These were a unique aspect of the program and played a big role in solidifying my decision to pursue grad school. Through these labs, I could see all the theory and training come together. I had the chance to plan and execute the full design lifecycle of a device—very similar to what I do in the industry today albeit with very advanced technology and on a much larger scale.
I also found great joy and satisfaction in designing and understanding a device so small it couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, yet so practical that it is ubiquitous in our everyday lives. This experience brought me a great sense of pride as an engineer, and I look back fondly on the lessons it taught me about the research and development lifecycle.
What was the biggest surprise about the program?
The comradery between the classmates really surprised me. The NE program is quite difficult, and the content can be quite challenging to grasp. It is also one of the more selective programs at Waterloo attracting competitive and ambitious students. So, I was expecting our cohort to be competitive and individualist. I was pleasantly surprised at the teamwork and the feeling of “we are in this together” that prevailed in the cohort.
How does your knowledge of nanotechnology engineering impact your current role?
One of my inspirations in pursuing a career in image sensors was Dr. Dayan Ban’s course on Photonic Materials and Devices and another was Dr. Bo Cui’s course on Microfabrication and Thin-film Technology. Not only did I find these courses fascinating in undergrad, but I also found myself using many of the concepts I learned then in my role today. Microfabrication is at the core of CMOS image sensor technology, so the fundamentals of the lithography process I learned at UWaterloo are highly applicable to the processes I work with. The physics of light-matter interactions and the semiconductor physics I learned in the NE program are fundamental to my understanding of the systems I help design and characterize at Apple. This knowledge has helped me innovate as an engineer and researcher.