A Passion for EUV Research Fuels Nhan’s PhD Pursuits
ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 3, 2024) — UAlbany graduate student Justin Nhan is a self-described tech enthusiast. Working alongside College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) Professor Kathleen Dunn, Nhan’s research involves EUV lithography, a process central to creating smaller, more powerful computer chips.
“Growing up, I was fascinated by how microchips were capable of powering everything from cars, airplanes and spaceships to laptops, phones and gaming consoles,” said Nhan, who is working toward a PhD in Nanoscale Engineering. “I was amazed by how something so small could be so powerful and crucial to our everyday lives.”
Nhan sees his current research as an extension of this childhood fascination.
“The opportunity to pioneer an uncharted area in EUV lithography (our next-generation computer chip patterning technology) is what fuels my passion for my current project with Professor Dunn,” Nhan said. “This research aims to unlock the untapped potential of key interactions in EUV lithography, which can propel our computer chip patterning processes for next-generation technologies.”
In September, Nhan and Dunn were invited to a Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) conference at Intel’s world-renowned R&D headquarters in Gordon Moore Park, Ore.
Nhan was immediately in awe of what he saw at Intel.
“The facility is truly amazing as it houses Intel’s pioneering R&D work, where they have already invented technologies that will be implemented into our everyday electronic devices in 5 to 10 years,” said Nhan.
While at Intel, Nhan was invited to give a presentation on his SRC-funded doctoral research, which focuses on understanding the interactions between a computer chip’s patterning layer (photoresist) and the underlying material (underlayer).
“This research is crucial because the microelectronics industry recently discovered that certain photoresist and underlayer pairings can drastically improve the patterning performances of the photoresists, which in turn can enable the creation of even more powerful computer chips at a fraction of the cost,” explained Nhan. “However, researchers don’t know why this phenomenon is only occurring with certain photoresist and underlayer pairings. Ultimately, the research I am conducting with Dr. Dunn aims to understand, harness and leverage these fundamental interactions between the photoresists and underlayers to drive forward our world’s future computer chip technologies.”
At the conclusion of the event, Nhan received the best presentation award from the conference.
“I was thrilled to learn that I had won the best presentation award, especially since it was my first time attending this conference,” said Nhan. “I have only been working on this project for about five months and was competing against other PhD researchers who are already in their third year of their projects.”
However, the true highlight for Nhan was getting to meet Intel's vice president for process engineering and technology research, David Thompson, after receiving the award.
“The best thing about hosting the 2024 NMP/LMD SRC annual review has been meeting all of the students driving disruptive innovation like Justin Nhan from CNSE,” said Thompson in a post celebrating the event. “Continued technical innovations are more important than ever to fuel Moore’s Law benefits. With AI workloads consuming ever increasing electricity, it’s great to see a new generation of researchers engaged on these challenges!”
Nhan now sees part of his role as a graduate student to share the excitement that fuels his academic pursuits with the next generation of students. The Albany native regularly gives tours of the NYCREATES Albany NanoTech complex and has served as a student ambassador for CNSE since his days as an undergraduate at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
Most recently, Nhan was asked by CNSE to assist with a STEM outreach event for the New Visions Engineering High School Students at our Albany NanoTech complex.
“I was requested to give a presentation about my undergraduate and graduate experiences at CNSE,” explained Nhan. “I ended up intertwining my personal journey at the college with the incredible research opportunities available here and highlighted the unique industry connections on our campus that lead to outstanding career pathways.”
For Nhan, that has meant traveling to Switzerland to conduct experiments on the synchrotron at the renowned Paul Scherrer Institute, visiting the Cornell Nanoscale Facility in Ithaca to conduct research, and serving as a TEL internship committee member during his internship at Tokyo Electron Limited Technology Center, America, LLC.
Nhan continues to pursue his passion for next-gen technology research and remains forever thankful for the opportunities he has been offered at CNSE, especially working alongside such talented faculty mentors.
"I want to especially thank Professor Kathleen Dunn as she has been an outstanding advisor and mentor on my research project. Her expertise in electron interactions, making her a rare expert in the EUV lithography community, has been invaluable to our research," said Nhan. "Overall, my PhD journey at CNSE has shown me how impactful my work is on the semiconductor industry. It’s deeply fulfilling to know that my research not only pushes the boundaries of technology but also plays a vital role in shaping our future."
"The work that Justin Nhan and Dr. Dunn are doing shows how advances in fundamental engineering knowledge — in this case establishing the theory of how materials interact with each other at the nano-level that then explains the observed phenomena — can quickly be translated into applications that benefit society," said CNSE Dean Michele J. Grimm. "The availability of cutting edge technologies and systems at the Albany NanoTech Complex to CNSE students and faculty supports experimental studies that are key to developing and verifying new theories that are relevant to advancing the semiconductor industry in the U.S."