Internship: Probing semiconductor materials using high-harmonic generation

Work Activities
Doped semiconductor materials play a key role in electronic devices and integrated circuits. The continuous miniaturization of the active components on chips have further increased the necessity of highly controlled material quality. For high quality devices consistent quality control is required, which must be very sensitive, high-resolution, very fast and non-destructive. While the current standard for inspection is electron microscopy, optical techniques have the potential to greatly improve the detection speed while vastly reducing damaging capabilities. But to reap these benefits development is required to overcome limitations of resolution and sensitivity.

While doping and defects might greatly impact the electronic properties of a materials these changes are often not reflected in their optical properties. This results in little to no contrast in conventional optical microscopes, limiting the possibility for all-optical inspection. By going beyond conventional microscopy to non-linear techniques where new wavelengths are generated within the sample, this limitation can be overcome. Here we will employ high-harmonic generation for this purpose.

The harmonic process is greatly impacted by the electronic properties of the material making it highly suitable for the detection of material doping and defects. While great sensitivity to doping and defects is to be expected, how these will exactly affect the high-harmonic process is an open question.

In this project the aim is to better understand how material doping and defects can impact the harmonic generation process. The project will evolve around optical experiments where the high-harmonic generation from a plethora of differently doped samples is measured and studied.

This is a project in the HHG & EUV science group of Peter Kraus at the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL). This project is for you if you have a solid background in physics and an interest in optics, optical experiments, and condensed matter.

Literature:

Toward Complete All-Optical Intensity Modulation of High-Harmonic Generation from Solids



Qualifications
You should hold a Bachelor's degree in physics or a related field.

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

Working conditions
At the start of the traineeship your trainee plan will be set out, in consultation with your ARCNL supervisor.

More information?
For further information about the position, please contact Peter Kraus: p.kraus@arcnl.nl and Pieter van Essen: p.vessen@arcnl.nl

Application
You can respond to this vacancy online via the button below.

Online screening may be part of the selection.

Diversity code
ARCNL is highly committed to an inclusive and diverse work environment: we want to develop talent and creativity by bringing together people from different backgrounds and cultures. We recruit and select on the basis of competencies and talents. We strongly encourage anyone with the right qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, origin, sexual orientation or physical ability.

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