Research Engineer / Senior Research Engineer ─ BEOL Furnaces, (APM), IME

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore is seeking a motivated Research & Technical Support Engineer/Scientist to develop and support BEOL furnace processes. This hands-on role includes collaborating with R&D teams on advanced technologies in a cleanroom environment.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in a relevant engineering field and experience in semiconductor fabrication. Key responsibilities include developing thermal processes, troubleshooting, and conducting characterization.

Qualifications

• Degree (Bachelor or Master) in relevant engineering or science fields.
• 3 years of working experience in Semiconductor Fabrication is advantageous.
• Hands-on experience with furnace processing, anneals, or BEOL-related thermal steps.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize BEOL thermal processes.
• Perform tool qualification and contamination monitoring.
• Work closely with teams for process integration.

Skills

Furnace processing

Semiconductor fabrication

Materials characterization

Root cause analysis

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering or related fields

Tools

XRD

SEM

TEM

Job description

Job Description

We are looking for a motivated Research & Technical Support Engineer/Scientist to develop, maintain, and support BEOL furnace processes, including BEOL metal anneal, barrier/liner engineering, dielectric curing, hydrogen anneals, and stress‑relief treatments. This role involves both fundamental materials science and hands‑on tool/process ownership in a cleanroom research environment. You will collaborate with R&D teams working on advanced interconnect technologies, photonic integration, 3D integration, and novel dielectric/metallization schemes.

Job Responsibilities

BEOL Furnace Process Development

• Develop and optimize BEOL thermal processes including Metal anneal, Barrier/liner stabilization, Dielectric curing, Passivation and Stress‑relief anneals
• Perform tool qualification, recipe loading, chamber matching, SPC set up and contamination monitoring.
• Troubleshoot process excursions and ensure stable operations with high repeatability.
• Correlate anneal conditions with film quality, stress, adhesion, and reliability metrics.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with teams in Photonic IC, Wide-Bandgap Devices, Packaging and reliability for process integration.
• Provide guidance for internal projects on thermal budgets, thermal‑stress implications, and BEOL process compatibility for novel materials and device architectures.

Job Requirements

• Degree (Bachelor, or Master based on job scope) or above in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics or related fields.
• 3 years of working experience in Semiconductor Fabrication is advantageous.
• Hands‑on experience with furnace processing, anneals, or BEOL‑related thermal steps is highly wanted.
• Knowledge of metallization physics, anneal passivation, interconnect reliability and dielectric curing.
• Understanding of thermal budget constraints and stress‑management in BEOL stacks.
• Hands‑on experience in Design of Experiments (DOE), root cause analysis, and problem‑solving methods is desired.
• Experience in Photonic IC, SiC devices, 2.5D/3D packaging and/or Wafer Bonding would be a plus.
• Proficiency with materials characterization tools, such as ellipsometry, XRD, XPS, TEM, SEM, stress measurement