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LAMP Seminar: “Complex Friction of Polycrystalline Diamond Coatings for Semiconductor Applications”
February 6 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Diamond is a promising semiconductor‑industry material due to its exceptional wear resistance, chemical inertness, and thermal conductivity. However, using polycrystalline diamond as a contact coating for nanometer‑precision positioning introduces challenges rooted in its fundamental crystal properties. This ASML‑linked research investigates how friction, wear, and surface morphology of polished microcrystalline diamond coatings influence their suitability for large‑scale manufacturing and lithography applications.
Felix Cassin
Senior Materials Surface Scientist, ASML Holding N.V.
Felix Cassin, PhD, is a senior materials surface scientist at ASML, where he has worked since 2024. He earned his PhD from Friedrich Schiller University Jena in 2020, then joined the Advanced Research Center for NanoLithography (ARCNL) in Amsterdam as a postdoctoral researcher in the Contact Dynamics group, studying capillary formation and diamond coatings. In 2022, he moved to the University of Pittsburgh for an ASML‑linked collaboration focused on nanoscale adhesion and friction of semiconductor materials under varying environmental conditions.
About ASML: ASML is a Dutch multinational and the world’s leading supplier of photolithography systems for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. It provides the hardware, software, and services that enable chipmakers to pattern nanometer‑scale circuits onto silicon wafers with exceptional precision. ASML’s most advanced machines use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a technology essential for producing cutting‑edge chips at the smallest feature sizes. These systems push engineering limits in optics, ultra‑fast motion control, thermal stability, and vacuum design—key domains in mechanical engineering. ASML employs over 40,000 people worldwide and supplies major semiconductor manufacturers including TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. Through continual innovation in lithography, ASML underpins the progress of virtually all modern electronic technologies.