Postdoctoral Researcher Reliability of thin-film IGZO transistors for logic and memory applications

What you will do

In the last decade, oxide semiconductors have emerged as a higher performance replacement for standard amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (TFT’s) in display back-plane and flexible electronics. Among different material candidates, Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide (IGZO) is the most promising, providing high performance with large area uniformity, low off-currents and low-temperature processing. As a result of the exceptional electrical characteristics of this material, it is envisaged to use it in applications where standard Silicon technology cannot be employed due to process temperature constraints (power gating in the Back-End of Line) or has fundamental limitations such as leakage current (selector transistors in DRAM arrays).

However, the long-term reliability of IGZO devices is one of the most important aspects to be still fully characterized and understood before full deployment. The aim of this post-doc research is hence to study the overall IGZO TFT electrical reliability, targeting both logic and memory applications. To this end, this novel device must be fully characterized and modelled, from which fundamental understanding and possible reliability limitations are extracted, allowing for further process optimization and eventually the employment of these devices in real products. The post-doc will play a key role in understanding the device degradation by combining electrical characterization and modelling. Electrical characterization will take place within imec labs, in which the student will be responsible for developing his measurements routines and analyzing the subsequent measured data. The empirical activity should be followed by a modelling study to understand the device degradation and be able to forecast its lifetime.

You will closely work with the device process engineers to enhance the device reliability, and with the reliability team to develop and apply electrical characterization routines and subsequent data analysis and modelling.

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 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 scholarship.

Who you are

• You have in-depth knowledge in the field of semiconductor/semiconductor device/solid-states physics.
• You have good programming skills (Python, Matlab, Perl and/or C/C++)
• You are eager to obtain exciting results and are always looking for learning opportunities.
• Within this multiscale cross-disciplinary project, you will be part of a large imec group working in collaboration with industrial partners. Therefore a team player spirit is fundamental.

This postdoctoral position is funded by imec through KU Leuven. Because of the specific financing statute which targets international mobility for postdocs, only candidates who did not stay or work/study in Belgium for more than 24 months in the past 3 years can be considered for the position (short stays such as holiday, participation in conferences, etc. are not taken into account).