| Abstract |
The overall objective is to built up expertise in the field of material science related to deep submicron CMOS processing and to investigate the irradiation hardness of these technologies. This requires a clear understanding of different disciplines such as material characterization, defect studies, silicon processing, electrical device characterization and irradiation studies. Due to the large number of processing steps in CMOS technology it is essential to either remove the process-induced defects or at least drive them towards the inactive regions of the components. This control effort is called defect engineering and gettering. Beside the process-induced defects, additional defects can also be created during the device operation having direct consequences on the lifetime of the components. The space community is more and more using the Commercially-of-the-Self (COTS) approach. This means that instead of dedicated components, fabricated in hardened technologies, commercial parts fabricated in mainstream CMOS are used for space electronics. Increasing the lifetime of components will reduce the cost, save energy and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. A fundamental study of the nature and structure of such defects is thus necessary to advance in technological applications, in particular in the miniaturization of components. For the applicant it is a unique opportunity to work on state of the art research topics, for which there is world- wide large interest. The proposed research plan is covering a broad range of topics, combining activities on material science, silicon processing and irradiation physics. It also allows to build up expertise on how to conduct a large joint research program in an international environment. The training will not only be performed at a pure scientific level, but also at a higher level including social aspects such as team building, multi-racial and multicultural interactions, and managerial skills.
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