Post-Doc Position: Resolving and Linking the Complex, Nanoscale Chemistry of EUV Photoresists to Their Lithographic Performance 

General description 

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is revolutionizing the manufacture of our nano-electronic devices. By employing a wavelength of 13.5 nm, ultrasmall features below 10 nm can be “written” into light sensitive materials (e.g., photoresists), yielding a pattern that sets the stage for the size and layout of transistors, interconnecting wires, and insulators that form the most critical layers of the most advanced chips. The transfer of a nanoscale image of EUV light into a photoresist is mediated by an EUV-driven chemical transformation that manifests as a residual, chemical pattern of the EUV image (e.g., a latent chemical image). The latent chemical image can then be revealed through development and further processing, leading to a final relief pattern that enables the deposition, etching, and/or doping of selected regions within a device layer. Despite the pivotal role of the latent chemical image in device fabrication, the extreme difficulty in measuring a nanoscale, chemically resolved image has resulted in a grand scientific challenge that has so far limited its direct observation and a direct connection between the latent image and the quality of the lithographic relief pattern.  

Recently, nanoscale chemical spectroscopies have been developed that enable the probing of chemical composition of “soft matter” with few-nanometer resolution. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) coupled with localized infrared (IR) excitation and detection (AFM-IR), has shown great promise for the direct visualization of the latent chemical image in EUV photoresists. However, AFM-IR has so far been limited to a very few material systems, and a comprehensive link between the observed latent image and the final patterning performance remains elusive. Moreover, the transformation of the chemical image into a relief pattern during lithographic processing (e.g., post-exposure baking, etching, interactions, with environment, etc.) has not been established. If these interactions can be spatially and chemically resolved at the nanoscale, a revolution of design-driven optimization of photoresist materials will lead to enhanced materials for the technology nodes of tomorrow.  

What you will do

In this project, you will investigate the formation of the latent chemical image in a variety of EUV photoresists by leveraging imec’s world-leading EUV lithography ecosystem, together with the capabilities of a new, state-of-the-art AFM-IR system. You will have the opportunity to pioneer the use and development of AFM-IR as a method for quantifying the latent image in EUV photoresists, as well as link it to the observed patterning performance. Your work will not only be at the forefront of photoresist chemistry, but also bridge the interface of fundamental chemical mechanisms and applied lithography. Your technical responsibilities in this role will specifically involve the following; 

• Developing a methodology for measuring the latent chemical image in EUV photoresists using AFM-IR  
• Apply this methodology to study the evolution of the latent chemical image through lithographic processing steps (e.g., post-exposure bake, etch, etc.) 
• Exploring the effect of lithographic exposure and processing conditions on the observed latent images (e.g., EUV dose, post-exposure baking temperature/time,
• environmental effects, delays in processing, etc.) 
• Developing an image analysis routine for extracting critical parameters of the latent image (e.g., line edge and width roughness, critical dimension, correlation length, etc.) from the AFM-IR chemical images.  
• Coordinating and performing correlative experiments with imec’s lithographic materials characterization team and other teams within the Ångström Patterning Department to yield correlative data that supports your findings and observations based on AFM-IR measurements.  
  
  

In addition to these technical responsibilities, you will also have the opportunity to develop personal and professional skills that will propel you to a leading position in industry or academia by, 

• Mentoring PhD and MSc students in lithographic materials characterization. 
• Pursuing external funding opportunities (e.g., Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and FWO fellowships) to define and manage your own research project in lithographic material characterization.  
• Presenting your findings at conferences, internal meetings, and gain exposure to key players in the global semiconductor community.  
• Expanding your intellectual horizon by gaining exposure to nearly all aspects related to lithography and semiconductor material processing.  

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

• Imec values a cooperative spirit. What does it mean for you? You can easily collaborate across teams and fields with our 6000+ colleagues. Thus, directly learn from the many leading experts in nanotechnology, metrology, system architecture, etc. and accelerate your research. 
• Extensive support infrastructure (automated measurement department, leading edge metrology department, public funding department, etc.) that will allow you to concentrate on your research.  
• Competitive imec payroll contract for a fixed term of two years. 
• Long term perspective in science! We grow our scientific high potentials in scientific leadership. Imec has a structural scientific career path, along which you can pursue a professional career as a researcher. Our young researchers also have easy access to open positions in one of the many companies of the semiconductor industry that work with imec or can transfer to an academic position at a university.  
• We support our most promising young researchers in applying for an ERC starting grant to build up their own research group within imec that aligns with imec's vision. Furthermore, imec provides internal funding mechanisms to start new research endeavors that can lead to impactful technologies in the future. Imec strongly supports start-up initiatives. 
• Imec is the crossroads where all semiconductor players meet to tackle fundamental research questions and technology bottlenecks. This allows you to build a unique network within academia and industry that you will be able to leverage for any future career.  
• Belgium and imec value family and support young researchers extensively (childcare for the youngest, flexible working hours understanding that family affairs are of high importance). 
• Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 
• We are proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process, not only with words but also with tangible actions. 

Who you are

• You have a PhD in chemistry, physics, material science, or chemical engineering. A focus on soft-matter, optically-active materials and their characterization is a plus. 
• You have a passion for research and have demonstrated excellence and independence during your PhD or post-PhD industry related experience. 
• You possess a strong technical skillset, comprised of diverse experience in thin film characterization, with knowledge and/or hands-on experience in topics such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS), optical inspection (UV-VIS, ellipsometry), reflectometry, microscopy (e.g., SEM/TEM) with a focus on scanning probe microscopies (e.g., atomic force microscopy, AFM). An expertise in AFM is a strong plus. 
• You take initiatives and can work on your own, while also working well as part of a team comprised of diverse technical and cultural backgrounds. 
• You are an innovative, out-of-the-box thinker, result-driven, and can meet deadlines with quality output.  
• You are a clear and effective communicator. Strong language skills in English are required for imec’s diverse working environment. 
  
  

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.