Research Fellow - Semiconductor Advanced Packaging

About the role

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is seeking a Research Fellow to advance low-temperature Cu/dielectric hybrid bonding for fine-pitch, high-density interconnects. The goal is to develop and validate a new flow with reliable dielectric sealing under 200 degrees Celsius, integrating materials selection, wafer-level process development and reliability demonstration to deliver a manufacturable 3D-integration solution.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and run a Cu-Cu hybrid bonding flow for fine-pitch 3D integration.
• Optimize process windows (pressure, temperature, anneal, surface activation) to minimize contact resistance and voids, while maintaining cleanroom and tool best practices.
• Characterize materials and interfaces using optical/profilometry, SEM/TEM, surface chemistry and electrical IV, and turn the data into process improvements.
• Validate reliability and scalability through thermal cycling, HTS and electrical stress on test vehicles, and build prototype stacks such as interposer/test-chip to show manufacturability.
• Produce technical reports and presentations, coordinate with partners, and keep documentation, version control and safety compliance rigorous.

Required profile

• PhD in Materials, Microelectronics, EEE or a related field.
• Hands-on semiconductor process development in a cleanroom (Cu interconnect/wafer or hybrid bonding; litho, etch, CMP, plasma, anneal).
• Process integration and optimization, root-cause and failure analysis, and a reliability mindset for thermal and electrical stress tests.
• Collaboration with tool vendors and industry partners, concise reporting and ownership.
• Strong documentation, safety discipline and clear communication in English.

Required skills

• Characterization: optical/profilometry, SEM/TEM, XPS/AFM, electrical probing.
• DoE and statistics; Python and Matlab are a plus.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.