The group Quantum Interactions and Structural Dynamics at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials in Groningen is looking for a PhD-student to study fundamental aspects of energetic collisions of highly charged tin ions with a hydrogen gas.
 
This research is part of a larger program coordinated by the Advanced Research Center for Nanolitography (ARCNL – Amsterdam), aimed at understanding the physics of plasma sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light for next-generations’ nanolithography.

This PhD project aims at unveiling and quantifying the fundamental energetic quantum-processes that tin ions undergo in the EUV-light-generating plasma and when being expelled from this hot plasma into the surrounding hydrogen “stopping” gas. This requires benchmarking experiments using energy and charge state selected ions from our new, state-of-the-art electron-cyclotron-resonance ion source. On top of the determination of probabilities for energy loss and electron-transfer reactions, we will perform detailed spectroscopy to produce spectral “fingerprints” of the populated quantum states that may serve as in-situ diagnostics of the ionic tin debris expelled from an actual industrial source.
 
This project thus combines a very fundamental physics question with direct relevance to key technologies in nanolithography.
 
The experiments will be performed at the ZERNIKELEIF facility at the University of Groningen. In addition, the student will participate (on average one day a week) in the experimental campaigns on a real EUV-generating plasma source running at ARCNL in Amsterdam

You have an MSc in (applied) physics. Knowledge in the fields of atomic and molecular physics, atomic collisions and vacuum technology is advantageous. Good verbal and written communication skills (in English) are required.

Fixed-term contract: four years.

When fulfilling a PhD position at the NWO-I, the Institutes Organisation of NWO, you will get the status of junior scientist. You will have an employee status and can participate in all the employee benefits the NWO Institutes Organisation (NWO-I) offers. You will get a contract for four years. Your salary will be up to a maximum of 2,834 euro gross per month. The salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8 percent and an end-of-year bonus of 8.33 percent. 
You are supposed to have a thesis finished at the end of your four year term with NWO-I. 
A training programme is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for the additional education and supervising that you specifically need. This plan also defines which teaching activities you will be responsible (up to a maximum of ten percent of your time). The conditions of employment of NWO-I are laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres (Cao-Onderzoekinstellingen), more exclusive information is available at this website under Personeelsinformatie (in Dutch) or under Personnel (in English). General information about working at NWO-I can be found in the English part of this website under Personnel. The 'Job interview code' applies to this position.

ARCNL

The Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL) focuses on the fundamental physics involved in current and future key technologies in nanolithography, primarily for the semiconductor industry. ARCNL is a public-private partnership between the NWO Institutes Organisation, the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the VU University Amsterdam (VU) and the semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML. ARCNL is located at the Science Park Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and is currently building up towards a size of approximately 100 scientists and support staff. See also http://www.arcnl.nl