"PhD - student: Measuring charges and fields in semiconductor metrology"

Job Description

Work Activities: In semiconductor devices and materials, electric fields can arise due to doping, laser excitation, and other processes. Measuring these fields and/or the charges that create them, is nontrivial as it is highly undesirable to attach physical electrodes to semiconductor devices just for this purpose. At the same time, the ability to measure these fields is highly interesting as it offers the possibility to apply it as a diagnostic tool for quality control. A non-contact way to measure static or slowly varying electric fields is Electric-Field Induced Second Harmonic generation, or EFISH. In isotropic media, optical second harmonic generation (SHG) is normally not allowed. Static electric fields, however, break inversion symmetry, allowing SHG. This means that SHG can be used as a probe of the local static electric field and charge distribution in a material. EFISH is also direction dependent, in principle allowing for measurement of the electric field vector.

Project Goal

In this project you will work towards exploring and understanding EFISH to measure static fields and charge distributions in various materials and structures. For this you will learn to work with (tunable) femtosecond laser pulses generated by the laser systems available in the Light/Matter Interaction groups at ARCN. These laser pulses have high peak power and are therefore ideal for the nonlinear optical EFISH process. You will design your own setup, get acquainted with nonlinear optics, perform experiments on relevant materials, and learn how to analyze your data.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold, or be nearing completion of, a Master’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline, in accordance with Dutch university requirements for enrollment in a PhD program. While prior experience with femtosecond lasers is not a prerequisite, it will be considered a distinct advantage. Candidates should demonstrate a strong interest in nonlinear optics, materials science, and chemistry, coupled with excellent critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills. Proficiency in both written and spoken English is mandatory.

Work Environment

ARCNL performs fundamental research, focusing on the physics and chemistry involved in current and future key technologies in nanolithography, primarily for the semiconductor industry. While the academic setting and research style are geared towards establishing scientific excellence, the topics in ARCNL’s research program are intimately connected with the interests of the industrial partner ASML. The institute is located at Amsterdam Science Park and currently employs about 100 persons of which 65 are ambitious (young) researchers from all over the globe. www.arcnl.nl

About the Light/Matter Interaction group: The research activities of the Light/Matter Interaction group focus on the (non-)linear optical and terahertz response of materials within the context of photo-acoustics, light-induced damage, and local field measurements.

Working Conditions

The position is intended as full-time (40 hours / week, 12 months / year) appointment in the service of the Netherlands Foundation of Scientific Research Institutes (NWO-I) for the duration of four years, with a starting salary of gross € 2,968 per month and a range of employment benefits. After successful completion of the PhD research a PhD degree will be granted at a Dutch University. Several courses are offered, specially developed for PhD-students. ARCNL assists any new foreign PhD-student with housing and visa applications and compensates their transport costs and furnishing expenses.