ARCNL

Research

ARCNL conducts fundamental research in the fields of physics and chemistry. Its inspiration comes from the semiconductor industry, particularly the promising EUV lithography technique used in the latest lithography equipment. The aim is to understand and control the processes involved, which often means that researchers must delve into the atomic scale and beyond. Within ARCNL’s research programme, three thematic departments reflect the direct alignment with the Research and the Development & Engineering departments at ASML: Source, Metrology, and Materials.

Source

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is used to manufacture chips. This light is generated by firing laser pulses at tiny tin droplets, turning each droplet into a hot and dense plasma. The Source department investigates all aspects of this process, including, for example, plasma and fluid dynamics and the modelling therof, the physics of CO₂ lasers, ionic interactions and the atomic origins of EUV light.

Metrology

In the lithography process, accurate inspection and positioning of nanometre-scale structures are essential. The Metrology Department focuses on the development of new imaging and metrology techniques for detection of markers buried underneath opaque layers and for detailed visualisation of nanostructures. This involves lensless and computational imaging, coherent light sources ranging from infrared to soft X-rays, and advanced optical detection schemes.

Materials

The performance limits of materials are continuously challenged in novel lithography technology, requiring atomic-level insight into and control of their properties. The Materials Department investigates a wide range of materials behaviour, with an emphasis on the properties of surfaces and interfaces, in the context of, for example, EUV optics, protective coatings and membranes, and contact phenomena such as nanoscale friction and wear.