Meet imec fellow Francesca Iacopi

Read Francesca’s story

Francesca Iacopi first connected with imec while pursuing her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Working in imec’s beating heart – the cleanroom – sparked her interest deeply enough that she decided to join imec as a PhD student in 1999; a decision she still celebrates, as it had a profoundly positive impact on her future career.

Starting out as a process engineer and completing her KU Leuven/imec PhD, Francesca delved into research on interconnects and ultra-low-k dielectrics. For a decade, she enjoyed working at imec during the exciting early days of the core partner program. Later, she took a sabbatical, which turned into an academic journey from the University of Tokyo, through GlobalFoundries, and eventually to the academic world in Australia. The broad knowledge she gained during this journey, her academic experience, and her imec history, have equipped her to elevate imec’s presence in the USA.

Charting the imec course at Purdue in collaboration with local players

Francesca now leads imec’s operations in the recently established R&D site at West Lafayette, Indiana. There, she aims to expand and steer imec's vision and impact. With her blend of imec experience and academic insight, Francesca is enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead, even as the full scope of her work is still taking shape.

“As the course is not yet completely defined, I still have certain freedom to imprint what the role will be about. It’s first of all co-located with Purdue University, and I expect a very strong collaboration with its researchers. I believe both my academic background as well as my history at imec will be very helpful to further shape this collaboration and act as the connection point between the new office, the imec relevant groups, and the university.”

“Of course, one priority is to take care of my team and grow it. Not only in numbers, but also in the expertise areas we cover. Also to make sure we’re contributing new fundamental understanding to advanced logic, memory and a few other topics. Scope out new approaches and collaborations. And while doing so, we obviously want to work in complete sync with what’s happening at imec Leuven.”

Empowering innovation

“My main passion is to enable innovation with new electronic materials, matching nanomaterials with suitable technologies. My broad technical experience and wide international experience in different roles is very helpful for thinking out-of-the-box.”

Her academic experience will prove just as beneficial in working with students as with fellow researchers. “One main reason of my move to academia was to work together with students. I had already supervised a lot of master students and guided a couple of PhDs during my early days at imec. That’s something I truly enjoy: seeing their evolution, not only technically but also as a person. Initially, they’re often very careful and impressionable. As they professionally grow and start feeling more confident, they’ll suggest new things and ideas. That’s very satisfying to see.”

Technology and the human factor

Francesca often reflects on her first decade at imec, where she worked on fundamental and applied topics that truly engaged her engineering mind. “The work was very rewarding, I could use my basic physics and engineering skills while also shaping future applications in collaboration with so many semiconductor companies. For example, a lot of the early pathfinding I did in low-k dielectrics and interconnects has informed the industry's trajectory.” She finds it incredibly satisfying to see the connection between fundamental research and its real-world applications.

Francesca also places a strong emphasis on the human aspect of innovation, which she has explored through a master’s degree in cultural anthropology. Her love of multiculturalism and understanding diverse perspectives is a key part of her life’s passion. “The human factor is very important. We should not forget technology originates from people. A lot of innovation happens because of how people interact. So, understanding more about the different cultures and point of views, is indeed a passion.”

A message to junior researchers

As an individual that does not like to have regrets and loves to taste various experiences, Francesca urges young people to just go for it. “I’d say it’s important to dare follow your own dreams and ideas. Try things out in life. Also remember life is not necessarily linear. Sometimes, you have to take a bit of a detour to find something you truly like.”

The observation that life is not always linear, could be at odds with beginning researchers’ expectations. Expectations which are often very high. “Young people put a lot of pressure on themselves. They often think they must have it all figured out or they might miss their train. I’d suggest that’s not true: with the right preparation, learnings, and skill, things will happen at the right time. So, it’s okay if you haven’t figured out everything yet as a young student!”