Materials Science | Electrical Engineering internship: feedforward compensation of dielectric relaxation

Introduction

The Tribology and Electrostatics research group of ASML looks into the long-term solution roadmap for ASML. For this purpose, we explore various technological solutions that are not mature yet. At the moment, we are working on dielectric materials for high-precision electro-mechanical systems. When an electric field is applied and subsequently removed, these materials exhibit dielectric relaxation, leading to a time dependent decay of surface potential. In practical applications, this decay directly translates into pressure drift, negatively affecting positioning accuracy and system stability. Since dielectric relaxation behavior is repeatable and history‑dependent, it offers an opportunity for feedforward compensation.
 

Your Assignment

This internship focuses on developing and validating such a feedforward strategy from experimental data. The main goal is to design a feedforward voltage scheme that minimizes surface potential decay after contact, thereby reducing pressure drift. Some of your tasks will involve:

• Analysis of dielectric relaxation and recovery measurements for ceramics and glassy dielectrics;

• Modeling relaxation behavior using suitable time‑dependent models (e.g. multi‑exponential, stretched exponential, power law);

• Designing feedforward voltage waveforms for compensation and quantitative comparison with uncompensated cases;

• Proposing a standardized compensation strategy suitable for representative system testing;

• A final technical report and presentation with recommendations for implementation.

This is a Master internship for 6 to 9 months, working minimum 4 days per week. This topic is also suitable for a thesis. The start date is as soon as possible or the latest around August/September 2026.

Your Profile

To be a fit for this assignment, you:

• Are busy with your master's in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field;

• Possess basic knowledge of dielectrics or polarization phenomena;

• Are familiar with control concepts (feedforward vs feedback);

• Have some hands-on experience with MATLAB and Python;

• Possibly possess knowledge of COMSOL;

• Have good communication skills in English (verbal and written).

Other requirements you need to meet:

• You are enrolled at an educational institute for the entire duration of the internship;

• You are located in the Netherlands to perform your internship. In case you are currently living/studying outside of the Netherlands, your CV/motivation letter includes the willingness to relocate;

• If you are a non-EU citizen, studying in the Netherlands, your university is willing to sign the documents relevant for doing an internship (i.e., Nuffic agreement).

This position requires access to controlled technology, as defined in the United States Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. § 730, et seq.). Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to access such controlled technology prior to beginning work. Business demands may require ASML to proceed with candidates who are immediately eligible to access controlled technology.

Inclusion and diversity

ASML is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that inclusion and diversity is a driving force in the success of our company.

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