Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography ARCNL

Science with a mission

ARCNL is a public-private partnership established by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), University of Groningen (RUG) and semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML. The institute is located at Amsterdam Science Park.

ARCNL combines the best of two worlds. As a research institute ARCNL plays its role in the academic community. Thus, ARCNL publications are peer-reviewed and group leaders teach classes at universities and contribute to conferences. At the same time, the research questions are primarily driven by the application of industrial partner ASML, who also benefits from the resulting stream of technological ideas. By being in this unique position, ARCNL is able to contribute to the production of ever smarter and smaller electronics.

Research at ARCNL

At ARCNL we carry out fundamental research in physics and chemistry. Our source of inspiration is the semiconductor industry. We are especially interested in the promising Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light lithography technique used in the latest lithography equipment. It is our goal to understand and control the processes involved, which often means getting down to the atomic scale and beyond.

ARCNL research groups and their research fields

Computational Imaging
Contact Dynamics
EUV Generation & Imaging
EUV Plasma Processes
High-Harmonic generation and EUV science
Light-Matter Interaction
Materials Theory and Modeling
Materials & Surface Science for EUVL
Nanoscale Imaging and Metrology
Plasma Theory and Modeling Ions Interaction

Within ARCNL’s research program, three thematic clusters reflect the direct alignment with the Research and the Development & Engineering departments at ASML

SOURCE
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is used to manufacture chips. This light is generated by firing laser pulses at tiny tin droplets, turning each one into a hot and dense plasma. The Source Department investigates all aspects of this process, including e.g. plasma and fluid dynamics and the modeling thereof, drive laser physics, ionic interactions, and the atomic origins of the EUV light

METROLOGY
In the lithography process, accurate inspection and positioning of nanometer-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 visualization of nanostructures. This involves lensless and computational imaging, coherent light sources that range 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 behavior, with an emphasis on the properties of surfaces and interfaces, in the context of e.g. EUV optics, protective coatings and membranes and contact phenomena, such as nanoscale friction and wear.