PHD

- Short-Wavelength Light Sources for EUV MetrologyAngana Mondal - Materials department - Contact DynamicsBart Weber - Materials & Surface Science for EUVLRoland Bliem - Materials Theory and ModelingEmilia Olsson PhD: Beyond extreme ultraviolet light source plasmas: Theory and experiment Work Activities This fully funded PhD position lies at the interface between fundamental physics and industrial application. It is part of activities in ARCNL's Source Department. The research activities of the Source Department aim at an atomic- and molecular-level understanding of the fundamental dynamics in the operation of contemporary and future plasma-based sources of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and beyond-EUV light for nanolithography. In our group's research we, for example, uncovered the quantum origins of the generated EUV light [Torretti, Nature Comms. Nature Commun. 11 , (2020)], found a universal law for expanding plasma [Sheil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133 , (2024)], and found that less than half the initial droplet volume is present on thin tin sheet targets as used in EUV sources [Liu, Phys. Rev. Appl. 20 , (2023)], and work on an alternative EUV source solution [Mostafa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 123 , (2023)]. Background The revolutionary introduction of EUV lithography was the culmination of several decades of collaborative work between industry and science - a Project Apollo of the digital age. The short, 13.5-nm EUV wavelength enables patterning the smallest, smartest, and most energy-efficient features on chips. The required 13.5-nm radiation is generated from plasma that is produced from tiny tin droplets that are heated by powerful laser pulses. At ARCNL, we are now thinking about light sources that radiate at even shorter wavelengths below 13.5 nm, which could open up a host of applications in future nanolithography, metrology, as well as biological imaging. There are many open questions: what elements should be used to generate the require...