Freeform nano-optics for Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Inspection and Metrology

Freeform Nano-Optics for Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Inspection and Metrology

Research Challenge

The semiconductor industry is continuously pushing towards smaller technology nodes, creating an increasing need for high-resolution optical inspection and metrology solutions. Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light offers unique opportunities for defect detection, overlay metrology, mask inspection, and process monitoring at nanometer scales. However, conventional EUV optical systems are complex, bulky, and expensive due to their reliance on multi-element reflective optics.

Meta-optics, consisting of nanoscale structures that control the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light, provide a promising alternative. By engineering optical functionality directly into ultra-thin nanostructured surfaces, meta-optics have the potential to dramatically reduce system complexity while enabling entirely new imaging and sensing modalities.

The challenge of this PhD is to develop EUV-compatible meta-optical components and design methodologies that can enhance next-generation semiconductor inspection and metrology systems.

Research Objectives

The PhD candidate will investigate the fundamental limits and technological opportunities of meta-optics operating at EUV wavelengths.

The research objectives include:

• Design of EUV meta-optical elements for imaging, beam shaping, and wavefront control.
• Exploration of materials and nanofabrication approaches compatible with EUV operation.
• Development of simulation frameworks combining electromagnetic modeling and optical system design.
• Investigation of polarization, phase, and coherence engineering for advanced metrology applications.
• Demonstration of proof-of-concept meta-optical components for semiconductor inspection or metrology use cases.

Expected Impact

Successful completion of this research could establish a new class of compact, high-performance optical elements for future semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The developed technologies may enable enhanced defect detection, improved overlay accuracy, novel imaging modalities, and reduced system complexity for next-generation inspection and metrology platforms.

The project is positioned at the intersection of nanophotonics, semiconductor process technology, computational optics, and advanced metrology, offering the candidate the opportunity to work on a highly multidisciplinary topic with strong industrial relevance.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a background in:

• Photonics
• Optics
• Physics
• Electrical engineering

Experience with electromagnetic simulations, nanofabrication, optical design, or semiconductor technologies is considered an advantage.