R&D Engineer - Deposited Resists

Imec; Vlaams-Brabant; Remote; EUR 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, invites a PhD-level R&D Engineer to advance deposited resist materials and processes within the TFAMP group of MIDA. You will work on CVD- and vapor-phase resist concepts and collaborate across lithography, deposition, metrology, and equipment teams.

Ideal candidates have hands-on deposition experience, strong surface chemistry knowledge, and the ability to design and analyze multidimensional data.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in materials science or related field.
• Experience in semiconductor R&D and materials research.
• Hands-on deposition experience (CVD/MLD/ALD).
• Knowledge of surface chemistry and process–structure–property relationships.
• Familiar with patterning, lithography, and integration.
• Strong English communication and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of deposited resist R&D activities.
• Design and execute experiments on deposited resist processes.
• Optimize CVD-based metal oxide and MLD-based resists.
• Evaluate thickness, uniformity, conformality, and pattern-transfer capability.
• Investigate interfaces, contamination, and process integration.
• Translate results into integration-ready process modules for advanced patterning.
• Collaborate with lithography, deposition, metrology, and equipment teams.
• Document results and contribute to reports and publications.

Skills

Thin film deposition

CVD

MLD

Surface chemistry

Patterning

Experiment design

Education

PhD in Materials Science or related field

Tools

CVD equipment

ALD/MLD toolsets

Thin-film characterization

Job description

R&D Engineer - Deposited Resists

Background

Continued device scaling and the introduction of increasingly complex three-dimensional architectures place demanding requirements on lithographic materials. Conventional spin-coated resists face challenges related to film thickness control, conformality, patterning performance, and integration on non-planar structures. Deposited resists offer a promising route toward highly controlled, uniform, and conformal resist layers with tunable composition and properties. Advancing these materials requires a strong understanding of deposition chemistry, surface reactions, film characterization, patterning behavior, and process integration.

What you will do

You will be a member of the Thin Films Advanced Materials and Processes (TFAMP) group within the Materials, Interfaces, Deposition and Analysis (MIDA) department. You will take technical ownership of research and development activities related to deposited resist materials and processes. Working in a multidisciplinary environment, you will collaborate with lithography, patterning, deposition, metrology, integration, and equipment teams, as well as with material and tool suppliers.

• Develop and optimize deposited resist processes, with emphasis on CVD-based metal oxide resists, MLD-based resists, and other emerging vapor-phase resist concepts.
• Design and execute experiments to understand the relationship between precursor chemistry, surface reactions, deposition conditions, film composition, and resist performance.
• Evaluate critical performance parameters such as thickness and composition control, wafer uniformity, conformality, sensitivity, resolution, line-edge and line-width roughness, defectivity, selectivity, and pattern-transfer capability.
• Investigate material and process interactions, including substrate preparation, interfaces, contamination, outgassing, stability, and compatibility with downstream processing.
• Translate research results into integration-ready process modules for advanced patterning applications across imec programs.
• Work with equipment engineers and suppliers to define tool requirements, process improvements, hardware needs, and future capability roadmaps.
• Document results, communicate conclusions clearly, and contribute to technical reports, project reviews, invention disclosures, and scientific publications where appropriate.

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.

Who you are

• You hold a Ph.D. in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, semiconductor engineering, or a related field.
• You have relevant experience in semiconductor R&D, advanced materials research, or a large-scale research environment.
• You have hands-on experience with thin-film deposition. Experience with CVD, MLD, ALD, vapor-phase processing, or deposited resist technologies is a strong asset.
• You understand surface chemistry, thin-film growth, precursor and reaction mechanisms, and process-structure-property relationships.
• Experience with photoresists, EUV lithography, metal oxide materials, patterning, or semiconductor process integration is highly valued.
• You are familiar with relevant thin-film and materials characterization methods. Experience linking material properties to lithographic or pattern-transfer performance is an asset.
• You can design experiments, analyze multidimensional data, identify root causes, and convert results into clear technical decisions.
• You work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and communicate comfortably with researchers, engineers, suppliers, and project stakeholders.
• You take initiative, combine scientific curiosity with a practical development mindset, and maintain a constructive and results-oriented approach.
• You have excellent English communication, documentation, and presentation skills.

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.