Research Fellow (ALD Oxide Semiconductor & Short-Channel Transistors)

Job Description

The Research Fellow will drive the development of atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) oxide semiconductor (OS) thin-film transistors and aggressively scaled short-channel OS devices for back-end-of-line (BEOL) integration with CMOS. Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and optimize ALD processes for oxide semiconductor channel materials (e.g., IGZO, ITO, IZO) and BEOL-compatible gate dielectrics, including recipe development, precursor evaluation, and post-deposition treatments.
• Design, fabricate, and characterize short-channel OS transistors targeting sub-100 nm channel lengths, with emphasis on contact engineering, access resistance reduction, and threshold voltage control.
• Execute full process flows in the NUS cleanroom, including lithography, etch, deposition, and metallization; develop BEOL-compatible integration modules.
• Perform electrical characterization (DC, pulsed I–V, low-frequency noise, TDDB/BTI reliability) and correlate device performance with process conditions and materials properties.
• Prepare manuscripts for top-tier venues (IEDM, VLSI, Nature journals) and present results at international conferences.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students, and assist with grant reporting and proposal preparation.

Qualifications

Essential:

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on cleanroom fabrication experience with thin-film transistors or advanced CMOS/BEOL process modules.
• Demonstrated expertise in ALD process development, including familiarity with thermal and plasma-enhanced ALD tools, precursor chemistry, and in-situ/ex-situ film characterization.
• Strong background in semiconductor device physics, transistor electrostatics, and short-channel effects.
• Proficiency in electrical characterization of transistors (transfer/output curves, mobility extraction, subthreshold analysis, reliability testing).
• Track record of first-author publications in reputable device/materials venues.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Open to fixed-term contract

Desirable:

• Direct experience with oxide semiconductor (IGZO / ITO / IZO / CAAC-IGZO) device fabrication or ALD.
• Experience with TCAD simulation (Sentaurus, Silvaco) or compact modeling.

University-Level Unit: College of Design and Engineering

Faculty/Department-Level Unit: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Employee Category: Research Staff

Location: Kent Ridge Campus