Chemistry Internship: Investigate Adhesion of Hard Coatings on Glass Substrate

Introduction

Are you studying Chemistry, Physics, or Engineering? Do enjoy material and/or surface science? Then this internship could be interesting for you!

Background information

This internship assignment will take place in the Tribology and Surface Science group in the department of Development and Engineering (D&E). Within ASML D&E, we are investigating the fundamentals of coating adhesions to substrates that could have impact on future ASML products. Since ASML scanners handle thousands of wafers per day, reliability and durability of coatings that touch the wafers are crucial to secure lifetime on critical engineering modules. Therefore, understanding adhesion and ways to improve it is of crucial importance.

Your assignment

The interface between the wafer backside and the table on which the wafer is clamped during operation in the scanner exist of a multilayer CrN coating, that is applied to the glass body of the clamp. The adhesion of the coating can vary depending on deposition techniques. A better understanding of the parameters that control this adhesion can help design more durable coatings with a longer operational lifetime.

The scope of this study is to (i) identify the factors controlling the adhesion of CrN coatings on glass substrates (literature study), (ii) indicate solutions to increase the coating-substrate adhesion, and (iii) design and perform tests to validate the envisioned solutions. The Tribology and Surface Science group at ASML will provide guidance and assistance for sample preparation and analysis. On regular basis, you will be asked to present your findings to our team.  In addition to this, you are encouraged to explore new trends in the field of coating developments.

Your profile

To be the perfect match for this internship you:

• Are a Master student in chemistry, physics, or engineering;
• Have knowledge of materials and/or surface science. Tribology background is nice to have;
• Have good communication skills in English, both written and verbal.

This internship will give you the opportunity to learn how industry works to tackle complex issues. To do that, both curiosity-driven and product-oriented mentality are welcome. Enthusiasm about hands-on experimental work and learning agility are an essential component to be successful in this role.

This is a masters apprentice or graduation internship lasting 6-9 months for 5 days per week starting as soon as possible.

Please note that we can only consider students who are enrolled at a school for the entire duration of the internship.

Other Information

Change the world – one nanometer at a time

Become an intern at a Dutch company that’s a global industry leader. You’ll gain valuable experience in a highly innovative environment – one that sparks your imagination and creativity. In addition to a monthly internship allowance of maximum €500 (plus a possible housing or travel allowance), you’ll get practical guidance from experts in the field and the chance to work in and experience a dynamic team environment.

ASML: be part of progress

ASML is a high-tech company headquartered in the Netherlands. We manufacture the complex lithography machines that chipmakers use to produce integrated circuits, or computer chips. What we do is at the heart of all the electronic devices that keep us informed, entertained and connected. Every day, you use electronics that simply wouldn’t exist without our machines.

Behind ASML’s innovations are engineers who think ahead. The people who work at our company include some of the most creative minds in physics, electrical engineering, mathematics, chemistry, mechatronics, optics, mechanical engineering, and computer science and software engineering.

We believe we can always do better. We believe the winning idea can come from anyone. We love what we do – not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.

Students: getting ready for real-world R&D

We’re a global team of 40,000 people of 120 different nationalities and counting. Headquartered in Europe’s top tech hub, the Brainport Eindhoven region in the Netherlands, our operations are spread across Europe, Asia and the US. 

In such an environment, your colleagues may be sitting next door, or they could be thousands of kilometers away in a different country – or even working for a different company.

An internship at ASML is the opportunity to get to know not only the world of industrial-strength R&D, but yourself – you’ll discover just what excites you most. Will you design a part of the machine, or make sure it gets built to the tightest possible specifications? Will you write software that drives the system to its best performance, or work side-by-side with the engineers of our customers in a fab, optimizing a system to the requirements of the customer?

How will you be part of progress?