[NanoIC topic] Defect analysis and mechanical modeling of high aspect ratio structure stability

As CMOS scaling progresses, increasing structural aspect ratio (AR) and decreasing critical dimensions (CD) pose great challenges for mechanical stability and defectivity control. High‑AR structures are particularly susceptible to collapse and damage during processing steps such as etching, cleaning, and drying. High‑throughput SEM‑based defectivity inspection tools produce large image datasets, requiring automated algorithms for defect extraction and statistical analysis. By correlating these results with CD‑SEM, X‑SEM, and OCD metrology, stability criteria can be defined for various process conditions. This internship/thesis focuses on developing a data‑driven defectivity analysis pipeline to better understand the mechanical stability of nanostructures under different process conditions. Required Skills Strong analytical and programming skills Experience with image processing and/or statistical analysis techniques Type of internship : Master internship, PhD internship Duration : >6 month Required educational background : Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering Supervising scientist(s) : For further information or for application, please contact XiuMei Xu ( XiuMei.Xu@imec.be ) The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-076 . Mention this reference code in your application. Only for self-supporting students. Applications should include the following information: resume motivation current study Incomplete applications will not be considered