Postdoc: Light-induced Damage at the Atomic Scale Using in Situ TEM

Postdoc: Light-induced Damage at the Atomic Scale Using in Situ TEM

ARCNL - Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Light-induced damage presents a challenge in applications of high-power lasers, including semiconductor device manufacturing. For the prevention of damage, it is particularly interesting to identify the changes to materials before any degradation of performance is discernible. The emergence of damage is often attributed to the creation of defects or the enhanced interaction of defect sites with external stimuli. Which defects are crucial in damage processes and how different defect types respond to laser pulses, however, remains unresolved at the atomic scale. In this project, you will address these questions using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with in-situ laser exposure. You will shed light on the atomic-scale mechanisms of defect generation and damage below the threshold for macroscopic changes, and connect material properties to the light-induced damage patterns of nanometer thick layers.

Your role as postdoc

You will perform your research in a collaboration between the Light-Matter Interaction group and the Materials & Surface Science for EUVL group at ARCNL, the Hybrid Nanosystems group at AMOLF, and the semiconductor equipment manufacturing company ASML. With guidance from these project partners, you will develop a research plan to resolve the atomic-scale details of light-induced modifications to thin films in the context of nanolithography and optical metrology. You will operate a state-of-the-art aberration corrected TEM with unique light incoupling and ultrafast time-resolution capabilities. You will have access to thin-film preparation and surface characterization facilities at ARCNL and AMOLF to fabricate thin layers and characterize their composition and structure. With the help of experts in the respective methods, you will grow layers for the TEM experiments and have the option to pre- and post-characterize them with several techniques such as atomic-force microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy.

Qualifications

• You have a PhD in Physics, Physical Chemistry, or Materials Science and hands-on experience with transmission electron microscopy.
• You are independent and have good project management skills.
• Good verbal and written communication skills (in English) are required.
• A background in light-matter interaction, laser spectroscopy, thin-film growth, or surface science is considered an advantage for the project.

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