Microfabrication and evaluation of advanced scanning tip sensors

Scanning tips have become a crucial element for the characterization of most advanced nanoelectronics devices. They are used in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to measure a broad variety of properties (e.g. mechanical, electrical, magnetic) with nanometer spatial resolution. Dedicated tip sensors have been developed at imec for nanoscopic electrical SPM measurements. In the scope of this internship, novel tip sensor chips will be designed, fabricated and evaluated. The fabrication involves lithography, etching and deposition steps in our state-of-the art cleanroom environment. The tip sensors are inspected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and are evaluated in SPM measurements on calibration and device structures. The student will learn to work in a cleanroom environment, design lithography masks, acquire basic microfabrication skills, set up and execute processing flows, fabricate scanning tip chips, inspect them by SEM and use them in an SPM instrument.  The student should have a good theoretical background on microfabrication techniques and a basic knowledge on materials characterization methods. Given the multi-cultural working environment, a good knowledge of the English language is mandatory.