From Professor Efraín Altamirano - altamira@imec.be

Post Doctoral position Plasma Diagnostics for Advanced Dry Etch ProcessesIMEC has developed a lot of knowledge on manufacturing processes including photo-lithography, cleaning, surface preparation and contamination control. Dedicated programs focus on the build-up of basic understanding as well as on the design of solutions for its industrial partners.

From a plasma processing point of view, this requires engineers and scientists to adapt their processes, develop new methods and tools that are compatible with the challenges introduced by dimensional scaling, new materials to be etched, new approaches introduced for the patterning. Those changes dramatically alter the physics and chemistry of processes taking place inside a cold plasma. However, modern FAB-ready plasma chambers offer little possibilities for probing the plasma and, as a consequence, get a direct & accurate description of the processes there involved.

Job description
The topic of this post doctoral position is the study of modern plasma discharges by means of electrical and spectroscopic techniques, making a connection between plasma characteristics and etch results (profile, dimensions, damage etc.) for the real device structures. In the first stage, your responsibility will be to implement a Langmuir-type probe in a capacitively coupled plasma etch chamber, which allows measurement of electrical characteristics of the plasma and the grounded electrode. In a second stage, your role will be to apply this technique to study plasma etch phenomena and related issues (i.e. chamber conditioning), and try to establish a correlation with other investigation methods (emission or absorption spectroscopy, ex-situ wafer surface analysis). The topic will be addressed in a generic way, but directed toward the overall potential implementation on various plasma chambers used by the group.

Your responsibilities will be: contribute to and refine the strategy to reach the goals, define a relevant experimental approach, execute experiments, analyze and interpret results; report results of the research in meetings, internal IMEC workshops, conferences and peer-reviewed journals. You may also guide students and process assistants; when appropriate. Your colleagues will be other scientists, research assistants and PhD students.

The post-doctoral position, starting January 1st 2010 will be filled on a full time non-permanent basis, at start for a duration of 1 year, renewable for an additional second year.

Profile
You have a strong scientific background and interest. You have a PhD in relevant fields (plasma electrical characterization or plasma spectroscopy). A background in plasma technology, dry etching is a strong asset. You are able to solve problems independently; you take initiative and have innovative ideas. You act as a real team player towards your internal and external partners. The day-to-day contact with people from all over the world makes fluency in English a necessity. You are able to document your work, and demonstrate writing and reporting skills allowing you to publish your results in internationally recognized scientific journals.

Interested?
The employee will report to Werner Boullart, tel. 1857. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Annemie Van Loock, tel. 7865.