WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU

With a Master’s degree in a relevant technical field, such as physics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or mechatronics, you bring both a strong foundation in engineering principles and a deep interest in the behaviour of particles and materials in ultra-clean high-tech environments. You are eager to apply your knowledge to real-world challenges in the high tech and/or semiconductor equipment domain, particularly in the context of EUV/DUV lithography.
You combine hands-on experimental skills with a sharp analytical mindset, enabling you to design, execute, and interpret complex tests that reveal the mechanisms behind particle contamination and/or material degradation. You are comfortable navigating multidisciplinary environments, collaborating with experts across domains to develop practical, system-level solutions. A strong foundation in materials science, and experience with materials characterization / defect classification techniques (e.g., SEM, AFM, Optical inspection) is a plus.
In addition to your technical capabilities, you are proactive, accurate, and structured in your approach. You work well in multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, as you will work closely with multidisciplinary teams both within and outside TNO. Strong verbal and written communication skills in English are required.

Other knowledge and skills you bring to TNO:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. physics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or mechatronics).
• Knowledge of and at least 3 years of experience in hardware development (preferably in semiconductor industry and/or other high-tech systems).
• Systems thinking oriented mindset to design solutions that consider the broader technical and organizational ecosystem.
• Hands-on experimental skills.
• Strong (data-)analytical skills (e.g. Python, MATLAB).
• Highly competent in collaboration and communication.
• Good verbal and written communication skills (English).
• Accuracy, flexibility, and resilience.

Your working location will be Delft. You will be working in the Semicon Metrology Group on projects that focus on understanding, modelling, and mitigating (sub) micron particle contamination in high-tech semiconductor equipment. These projects range from conceptual development of new contamination control strategies to in-depth analysis of existing systems and processes.
Success in this role requires a strong analytical mindset, a solid understanding of physical principles related to particle behaviour (e.g. due to flow and electrostatic forces), and close collaboration with experts from various technical disciplines . Effective communication and teamwork are crucial, as you will need to articulate your findings and collaborate with colleagues from various disciplines to develop comprehensive solutions.
For our experimental research we have a number of state of the art world class experimental setups at our disposal, partially developed ourselves. Your work will integrate both experimental and numerical approaches, involving the design and execution of experiments to investigate particle release, transport and deposition, as well as the development of models to interpret results and predict system-level behaviour. Commonly used tools include engineering modelling environments like Mathcad, MATLAB, COMSOL and Python, which support both analytical and numerical analysis in contamination control studies.
Topics you may encounter include system-level contamination risk assessments, particle adhesion and release, flow- and/or electrostatically induced particle transport and impact of system dynamics.
See more of the TNO Unit High Tech Industry and the Semicon Metrology Group.