R&D Engineer Chemical Mechanical Polishing 

Supporting R&D activities in the Logic and Memory Area 

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is an enabling technology for the nanoelectronics industry. CMP uses a chemical formulation that contains abrasive nanoparticles to polish wafers to remove unwanted dielectric or metallic material and planarize its surface.  
The aim of this position is to strengthen the R&D activities within CMP in the Logic and Memory applications domain. The R&D Engineer CMP will become an expert in his field impacting the imec ecosystem and act as an enabler for CMP solutions towards external customers. 

What you will do

You will be a member of the CMP R&D team at imec that is responsible for developing processes that help build devices for imec’s Logic, Memory, Interconnect, Life Sciences... program activities.  

The team currently consists of ~20 people with whom you interact daily. However, you will also work in a dynamic multidisciplinary environment in close cooperation with other researchers, scientists, hardware and process engineers, device and process experts, equipment vendors, industrial assignees and operators. 

As a specialist in your field, you will be responsible for developing, optimizing, maintaining and documenting high-end CMP processes on state-of-the-art equipment in a 300mm cleanroom facility. In this position, you are the first point of contact for customers on the topic of logic and memory process related CMP, collecting documentation and transferring information, besides setting up dedicated experiments. 

More specifically, your tasks include:  

• Design, conduct and analyse your experiments. 
• Verify CMP process performance and identify areas of improvement. 
• Gain fundamental understanding of design impact on CMP performance. 
• Coordinate and implement the developed CMP processes in our 300mm fab organization together with fab process engineers and the pilot line. This includes coordination of the transfer of developed processes and tools to support and operational teams. 
• Work cross-functionally with the integration/process support/hardware teams and industrial partners. 
• Actively contribute to the research and joint development programs with external partners. You will drive and define these activities for the new tool sets, new materials, new metrology tools and methodologies. 
• Monitor industry trends and innovations, applying scientific knowledge and adapting to imec research programs and activities. 
• Interface with device engineers and researchers to identify the future needs and trends. 
• Report your work to internal and external partners, and via conference / journal publications. 
• You will be coached on-the-job by senior colleagues and the CMP team lead. 

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 (http://www.imec-int.com/en/careers#diversity) 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 competitive salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• You have a Master of Science or Industrial Engineering degree, and/or a similar Ph.D. degree.  
• You have a strong technical background and hands-on experience in the field of CMP is considered as a plus. 
• You will require a strong capability to work without supervision with a high focus on quality. 
• You will actively participate in cross-functional teams, utilizing scientific and engineering skills to enhance the team’s capability. 
• You have good communication skills since you will work with a multicultural mix of imec researchers, partners and customers. Prior experience in customer relations in an asset. 
• You are a team player with good networking skills. 
• You value reporting skills as a means to share learning and increase impact.  
• Since your job consists of a variety of activities, depending on the interactions with imec’s research programs and customers, a flexible attitude towards your tasks is required. 
• Given the international character of imec, good knowledge of (spoken and written) English is a must. 

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.