Dren Qerimi

Dren Qerimi is a Research Assistant Professor and Associate Director at the Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering Department within the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Their research focuses on advancing plasma technology for semiconductor manufacturing, EUV lithography, and materials science. Qerimi holds a BS (2016), MS (2019), and PhD (2021) in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering from the same institution.

Research interests include EUV photo-resist development, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources, 3-D graphene production, and plasma sources such as DBD, PVD, and ICP. Their work emphasizes collaborative industry partnerships to bridge laboratory research with high-volume manufacturing. Key contributions involve tin removal in EUV lithography environments and plasma-based semiconductor processing.

Recent publications highlight advancements in plasma diagnostics (e.g., radical probe systems) and surface wave plasma applications for material etching. Their work spans both journal articles and conference proceedings, with a focus on EUV technology and plasma-source innovation.

• Awards: Engineering Vision Award, Nguyen Thi Coung Fellowship
• Labs/Teams: Illinois Plasma Institute (IPI), Grainger College of Engineering
• Grants/Advising: No listed advisees; active in industry-academia collaborative projects.