As device dimensions continue to shrink, surfaces and buried interfaces increasingly define performance, reliability and long-term stability. This postdoctoral position offers the opportunity to turn advanced photoemission into a routine, high-impact capability for probing the chemistry and electronic structure that govern tomorrow’s semiconductor technologies.
Today, electrical measurements such as capacitance-voltage analysis are widely used to extract parameters including effective work function, flat-band voltage, effective oxide thickness, and charge or dipole distributions in gate stacks. In-operando photoemission can add a powerful complementary perspective: by following energy-level shifts under applied bias and across different device architectures, it can reveal how materials, processing choices and stack design shape device behaviour. At the same time, this approach raises exciting scientific and technical challenges, including the need to understand and control probe-induced charging and energy shifts so that the true band structure can be measured with confidence.
In this role, you will contribute to the development, validation and application of in-operando photoemission as a breakthrough characterisation approach for advanced semiconductor research.
You will join the Chemical and Surface Analysis team within imec’s Materials and Component Analysis department, a highly collaborative environment providing imec-wide expertise in photoemission techniques including XPS, HAXPES and ARPES. Your mission will be to develop and mature in-operando XPS and HAXPES capabilities, transforming them from advanced experimental concepts into robust, reliable and broadly accessible measurement workflows for imec researchers, engineers and partners.
Your work will combine hands-on experimental development, advanced data analysis, interpretation of complex spectra and close interaction with process, integration and device experts. You will connect photoemission results with complementary characterisation methods available within the MCA department and imec’s advanced fab environment, building a deeper understanding of how materials and interfaces influence device performance. You will also follow the scientific literature, identify new opportunities, and help position in-operando photoemission as a key capability for semiconductor technology development.
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 define 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.
At imec, we shape the future by enabling nano- and digital technology innovation that enhances quality of life, together with partners from the industry, government, and academia.
Since 1984, imec quickly made its name as the leading research hub for advanced CMOS scaling and continues to set the course for the semiconductor industry. Our expertise combines deep-tech with software and systems, unlocking smart, sustainable solutions in fields like healthcare, mobility, Industry 5.0, clean energy and agrifood.
Ready to join us? Explore our R&D, start-up support, and career opportunities at imec-int.com.
