PhD

Process Technology

• Ge and III-V CMOS scaling
• Post-CMOS nano
• Reliability research at IMEC
• Memories
• Power devices
• GaN Power Converters
• Nanoscale properties of new materials for emerging memory de
• Ion-solid interactions
• Probing semiconductor devices on the atomic scale
• Packaging and interconnection
• SiGe-based MEMS
• RF-MEMS
• Advanced lithography
• Simulation of wafer plating uniformity
• Superfilling of 3D via structures with alternative metals
• Diamond bit cutting for metal bonding

Memories

With the advent of the post-PC era, demand for memory capacity in mobile and battery-powered applications has increased dramatically. Especially the growth of the nonvolatile memory (NVM) market segment has been and still is remarkable. Flash memory is the main NVM technology today with 2 main flavours: floating gate and charge trap. In both cases information is stored by collecting electrons and/or holes in a thin conductive (floating gate) or dielectric (charge trap) layer. The switch to charge trap memory is, however, a difficult exercise and until today has been limited to smaller market segments such as mid-density (NOR-type) and embedded applications. Moreover, the floating gate technology is also expected to exhibit an extended lifetime by the introduction of new materials and advanced coding techniques. Finally, when these solutions run out of steam, there is an opportunity for new mechanisms such as resistive switching in so-called R-RAM's. In this case, conductive filament formation and/or electrode interface reactions with the resistance switching material can introduce resistance modulation instead of charge modulation which will reach an end when approaching the electron charge. In all of these topics (floating gate, charge trap and resistance RAM) IMEC offers the possibility to start a PhD study which can concentrate on material study, device characterization, reliability and advanced system design issues.

Responsible scientists: Jan Van Houdt, Dirk Wouters