Linking semiconductor fab footprints to planetary limits (Attributional LCA+)

Context

Semiconductor manufacturingis growing rapidly, while its processes are increasing in complexity andresource intensity. The imec.netzero virtual fab model is used to quantifylife-cycle footprints of semiconductor technologies. While footprints areessential, decision-makers often need a more direct interpretation: how does afootprint relate to environmental limits, and what reduction level is needed tostay within those limits? Absolute environmental sustainability assessmentapproaches address this question by comparing footprints to carrying-capacityreferences (e.g., planetary-boundary-inspired budgets).

This work supports real-world fab decision-making by translatingLCA footprints into clear "how far from the limit" and "how much reduction isneeded" metrics, which helps prioritise improvements and communicate targetstransparently.

Objective

The objectiveof this internship is to develop a clear and reproducible 'footprint-to-limits'interpretation layer for imec.netzero. This will be achieved by:

• Reviewing practical absolute sustainability / planetary boundaryapproaches that can be applied to industrial life-cycle results.
• Selecting suitable carrying-capacity referencesfor a small set of priority impact categories relevant to fabs.
• Defining a straightforward mapping from attributional LCA resultsto metrics such as 'share of limit' and 'required reduction', with clearlystated assumptions and units.
• Proposing a default allocation approach (with one sensitivityalternative) that is practical for fab-related use cases and can be implementedconsistently.

Responsibilities

You willactively engage in the research, selection, and packaging ofabsolute-sustainability references, and in preparing a calculation templatethat converts imec.netzero attributional LCA outputs into limit-relatedmetrics. This will involve working closely with the sustainability researchteam to align methodological choices with the intended decision context, andwith the tool team to ensure the outputs are implementation ready.

In practice,this will involve:

You will turn existing fab footprint results into limit-relatedmetrics using a clear, reproducible conversion template.

• Comparing candidate references per impact category and documentingscope, assumptions, and limitations in a structured format.
• Building and testing a simple conversion template (e.g., Excel/CSV+ documentation, optionally Python) that computes 'share of limit' and'required reduction'.
• Running a small proof-of-concept on existing fab footprint resultsto demonstrate interpretability and usability.
• Preparing concise documentation that explains how to use theoutputs correctly and what conclusions are (and are not) supported.

Skillsand Learning Objectives:

Applicantsare expected to have a general background in engineering or environmentalscience. Familiarity with life-cycle thinking is a plus. Comfort withstructured data (Excel/CSV) is required; Python is a strong advantage. Duringthe internship, you will gain proficiency and enhance your skills in thefollowing key areas:

• Interpretation of attributional LCA for complex industrial systems
• Absolute sustainability / planetary-boundary-informed assessmentconcepts
• Building transparent calculation templates and reproducibledocumentation
• Connecting scientific methods to decision-ready outputs in anoperational tool

Type of internship: Master internship, PhD internship

Required educational background: Energy, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Other, Finance, Computer Science

Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Job Soethoudt ([email protected]) and Hanie Zarafshani ([email protected])

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-048. 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.