Defect Improvement Engineer – Platform & Operations Efficiency Team

Join the Defect Analysis & Reduction Team (DART)at imec's R&D headquarters located in the heart of Europe and help strengthen technology and modules across imec’s many programs. The Defect Analysis & Reduction Team (DART) is part of POET and is driving defect improvements in the 200 & 300mm FABs such that defects are controlled within imec’s program’s needs, whether that is for research success, platform repeatability or LVP yield.

What you will do

• Be part of the growth of the Defect Analysis and Reduction Team, as part of the larger Platform & Operations Efficiency Team. 
• Perform defect analysis and contribute to defect improvement projects. In support of existing projects, you will work with team members to interpret and evaluate defect root cause sources. 
• Review defect scan results, to identify defect sources / root causes. 
• Evaluate and then classify defects based on size, source, impact, severity, etc., as a means of driving improvement of defects, ensuring defect control. 
• Leverage industry experience to evaluate defect results of window and margin test for modules.  Feedback to help Integration and process to establish optimal settings which work across major program families which are inherently dissimilar and have their own unique needs. 
• Review current practices in the 300mm and 200mm fabs for tool defect evaluation, identify areas of improvement to drive the baseline behavior of the fab defectivity lower. 
• Support existing product specific yield improvement activity in a 200mm line, for low volume customer commitments. 
• Establish a Defect Catalog and baseline root cause libraries, to begin systematic defect management in the 300mm fab.   
• Work closely with the Metrology team to setup and tune recipes needed to evaluate defects.  Maintain an effective working relationship to drive collaborative effort to improve defect scan data frequency and accuracy. 
• Design an approach suitable for a Research and Development Fab to manage defect levels.  Work with Fab tool owners and Process Owners to align on means of driving improvement.  Manage execution of those improvement activities. 
• Present on status, highlights, lowlights, and needs at program review and coordination meetings with leadership from within the team and out.

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 are outgoing. You enjoy taking initiative and are persuasive and assertive, while keeping a constructive attitude. You like project leadership, and you are grounded in a solid technical background. Working across diverse projects appeals to you. 

Requirements: 

• CMOS semiconductor experience, preferably with 300mm processes 
• Minimum Bachelors Degree in Engineering or other science based field.  MS degree preferred. 
• 3+ years of industry experience in a production or development environment, required. 
• Candidates with only post-doctoral experience will not be considered. 
• Direct experience working in Defect Improvement, Contamination Free Manufacturing, or other fab wide defect improvement teams. 
• Familiarity with correlating in-line, defectivity, and functional data to improve device performance and yield. You can present these data and conclusions to all stakeholders.  
• Prefer experience with advanced nodes (<5nm) with advanced detection tools. 
• Ability to draw conclusions from limited data, make suggestions on how to validate assumptions and conclusions. 
• Capability to manage time independently, balancing needs of multiple parallel activities in a highly matrixed environment. 
• Good communication and interaction with the other groups within the department, as well as with other departments and Fab Operations, is a major requirement for this job.  
• You have strong organizational skills and show the flexibility to change between different projects according to changing priorities.  
• Given the international character of imec, excellent English verbal and written communication skills are required to be effective in this position.  
• Willingness to relocate physically to Leuven, Belgium.