Design and realization of a high-vacuum beamline section for a Van de Graaff accelerator
Leuven | Just now
New materials and processes are investigated in the high-tech cleanroom of imec. The goal is to improve the performance of the future generations of processors, interconnect, and memory devices. To characterize the nanometer scale components, imec uses amongst others ion beam analysis methods [1]. A beam of highly energetic ions is generated by using an electrostatic Van de Graaff particle accelerator (reaching up to more than 2 million volts) [2]. With this machine, researchers investigate the interaction between the energetic ions and the novel semiconducting materials to deduce properties of the novel devices at the sub-nanometer scale.
Sections of the setup owned by imec have been incrementally improved over the years. It is a modular design which combines various connection standards and adapters between them. The goal of the project is to develop a new high-vacuum beamline section between the port where the beam exits the accelerator and the port of the magnet which steers the beam onto the sample.
First, the requirements need to be investigated. For example, the ion beam needs to travel in a high-vacuum steel tube (P < 1.E-7 mbar), and the components must be able to cope with the thermal load of the energetic beam. Between others, the setup needs to include an electrostatic beam-steerer to finely adjust the direction of the ion beam, and slits will be included to confine the beam into a narrow spot.
Secondly, you will make a creative conceptual proposal and CAD-design the new setup. Besides of the technical requirements mentioned above, consideration will also be given to enable the precise external alignment of the components.
Once finalized, your designs will be used to purchase the vacuum components if possible, or to have non-standard parts be made in the mechanical workshop.
Finally, you will assemble the new setup and we will install in place the newly developed configuration. You will analyse the functionality and performance and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the applied design choices.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_beam_analysis
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Graaff_generator
Type of project: Thesis
Duration: summer project or 6+ Months internship or Master thesis
Required degree: Master of Engineering Technology
Required background: Electromechanical engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact: Johan Meersschaut (Johan.Meersschaut@imec.be)
Imec allowance will be provided for students studying at a non-Belgian university.