Context
Semiconductormanufacturing relies on highly specialised equipment for lithography,deposition, etching, ion implantation, thermal processing, cleaning, metrology,and inspection. These tools contain a wide range of materials and components,including structural metals, electronics, vacuum systems, pumps, robotics,precision optics, thermal systems, and control equipment.
The production ofthese tools, their transport and installation, and the parts and activitiesneeded to maintain them all contribute to the environmental footprint ofsemiconductor manufacturing. However, detailed physical inventories forsemiconductor process equipment are rarely available. Equipment impacts aretherefore often excluded from life-cycle assessments or estimated using genericfactors that do not reflect differences between tool types, materials,manufacturing requirements, or service life.
Maintenance is anotherpart of the equipment lifecycle that is often poorly represented. Replacementparts, repair, refurbishment, service activities, transport, and wastetreatment can all add to the impact of a tool over its lifetime. The size ofthis contribution depends on how the equipment is designed, how often parts arereplaced, whether components can be repaired or refurbished, and how long theequipment remains in use.
This project willdevelop a traceable life-cycle model that makes the environmental impact ofsemiconductor process equipment and maintenance an explicit part ofsemiconductor LCA. The model will allow equipment design, lifetime,maintenance, and refurbishment choices to be linked directly to theirenvironmental impact per processed wafer.
Objective
The objective of thisproject is to develop and implement a modular life-cycle model of semiconductorprocess equipment and maintenance for imec.netzero. The model will cover themain equipment families and maintenance activities across the equipment fleet, with more detailedmodelling for the tools and components that contribute most to environmentalimpact or uncertainty. It will include equipment production, installation,maintenance, replacement, refurbishment, and end-of-life, with impactsallocated over equipment lifetime and processed-wafer throughput.
Responsibilities
You will collaborate with the sustainability team and, wherepossible, process-equipment, maintenance, procurement, and supplier specialiststo collect the data required for the LCA and support itsimplementation inimec.netzero.
In practice, this will involve:
Skillsand Learning Objectives
Experience with life-cycle assessment is required. Familiarity withsemiconductor equipment, industrial machinery, bills of materials, maintenance,reliability engineering, or environmental product data is an advantage.
Type of internship: Master internship, PhD internship
Duration: 6 month to 1 year
Required educational background: Computer Science, Energy, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Other, Finance
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Job Soethoudt (< E-Mail aus Sicherheitsgründen gelöscht >) and Hanie Zarafshani (< E-Mail aus Sicherheitsgründen gelöscht >)
The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-259. Mention this reference code in your application.
Imec allowance will be provided.
Applications should include the following information:
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Semiconductormanufacturing relies on highly specialised equipment for lithography,deposition, etching, ion implantation, thermal processing, cleaning, metrology,and inspection. These tools contain a wide range of materials and components,including structural metals, electronics, vacuum systems, pumps, robotics,precision optics, thermal systems, and control equipment.
The production ofthese tools, their transport and installation, and the parts and activitiesneeded to maintain them all contribute to the environmental footprint ofsemiconductor manufacturing. However, detailed physical inventories forsemiconductor process equipment are rarely available. Equipment impacts aretherefore often excluded from life-cycle assessments or estimated using genericfactors that do not reflect differences between tool types, materials,manufacturing requirements, or service life.
Maintenance is anotherpart of the equipment lifecycle that is often poorly represented. Replacementparts, repair, refurbishment, service activities, transport, and wastetreatment can all add to the impact of a tool over its lifetime. The size ofthis contribution depends on how the equipment is designed, how often parts arereplaced, whether components can be repaired or refurbished, and how long theequipment remains in use.
This project willdevelop a traceable life-cycle model that makes the environmental impact ofsemiconductor process equipment and maintenance an explicit part ofsemiconductor LCA. The model will allow equipment design, lifetime,maintenance, and refurbishment choices to be linked directly to theirenvironmental impact per processed wafer.
Objective
The objective of thisproject is to develop and implement a modular life-cycle model of semiconductorprocess equipment and maintenance for imec.netzero. The model will cover themain equipment families and maintenance activities across the equipment fleet, with more detailedmodelling for the tools and components that contribute most to environmentalimpact or uncertainty. It will include equipment production, installation,maintenance, replacement, refurbishment, and end-of-life, with impactsallocated over equipment lifetime and processed-wafer throughput.
Responsibilities
You will collaborate with the sustainability team and, wherepossible, process-equipment, maintenance, procurement, and supplier specialiststo collect the data required for the LCA and support itsimplementation inimec.netzero.
In practice, this will involve:
- Reviewing equipment studies, supplier documentation,specifications, maintenance records, and environmental data.
- Preparing and checking the data used in the LCA.
- Building and running the equipment and maintenancecalculations.
- Analysing the results and identifying the mainenvironmental contributors.
Skillsand Learning Objectives
Experience with life-cycle assessment is required. Familiarity withsemiconductor equipment, industrial machinery, bills of materials, maintenance,reliability engineering, or environmental product data is an advantage.
- Applying LCA to semiconductor process equipment
- Working with equipment, component, and maintenancedata
- Allocating equipment impacts over lifetime andproduction throughput
- Assessing uncertainty and comparing improvementoptions
Type of internship: Master internship, PhD internship
Duration: 6 month to 1 year
Required educational background: Computer Science, Energy, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Other, Finance
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Job Soethoudt (< E-Mail aus Sicherheitsgründen gelöscht >) and Hanie Zarafshani (< E-Mail aus Sicherheitsgründen gelöscht >)
The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-259. Mention this reference code in your application.
Imec allowance will be provided.
Applications should include the following information:
- resume
- motivation
- current study
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
