Internship - Engineer (Defectivity, Materials & Contamination Analysis)

Job Description

ASML US, including its affiliates and subsidiaries, bring together the most creative minds in science and technology to develop lithography machines that are key to producing faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient microchips. We design, develop, integrate, market and service these advanced machines, which enable our customers - the world’s leading chipmakers - to reduce the size and increase the functionality of their microchips, which in turn leads to smaller, more powerful consumer electronics. Our headquarters are in Veldhoven, Netherlands, and we have 18 office locations around the United States including main offices in Chandler, Arizona, San Jose and San Diego, California, Wilton, Connecticut, and Hillsboro, Oregon.

Founded in 1984, ASML is the world’s leading provider of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, manufacturing complex machines that are critical to the production of integrated circuits or microchips.

ASML is seeking a summer intern with a background in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software/Data Science, or a related technical field to join the MDU (Module Delivery Unit) Defectivity Group in Wilton, Connecticut.

Within ASML, Development & Engineering (D&E) is responsible for the specification, development, and design of ASML products. The MDU Defectivity Group supports the development of the controlled environments required within advanced lithography systems, with a particular focus on particle and molecular contamination.

The team addresses these challenges from multiple engineering perspectives, including vacuum and gas-flow behavior, material selection and compatibility, surface interactions, cleanliness and conditioning processes, particle transport, contamination control, and measurement and analysis techniques.

As ASML continues to push the boundaries of lithography, understanding and controlling contamination at increasingly small scales requires new approaches. This internship provides an opportunity to contribute directly to that developing body of engineering knowledge while working alongside the EXE Defectivity team, Defectivity DTL (delivery team lead), Architects, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Role and Responsibilities

As an intern within the MDU Defectivity Group, you may contribute in one or more of the following technical areas:

• Materials Science / Materials Engineering / Nanotechnology: material characterization, surface interactions, contamination, and material compatibility.
• Tribology: wear, friction, particle generation, and evaluation of coatings and materials.
• Physics: plasma, electrostatics, particle behavior, and material compatibility.
• Mechanical Engineering: small-particle behavior in gas flows and high-vacuum environments.
• Software / Data Analysis: data processing, statistical analysis, image processing, and particle-adder detection.
• Electrical Engineering: development of test equipment, instrumentation, automation, and scripting using tools such as Python or MATLAB.
• Chemistry: vacuum-compatible cleaning methods, contamination removal, coatings, surface treatments, and material characterization.

You will participate in the development and evaluation of lithography system functions, components, tooling, and test equipment. Your work may involve systems incorporating robotics, mechatronics, precision mechanics, vacuum technology, and opto-mechanical components.

Projects may require consideration of engineering specifications, system performance, lifetime, failure modes, root cause analysis, statistical analysis, measurement-system capability, and defectivity (particle) performance.

You will collaborate with engineers, Architects, the Defectivity DT lead, factory engineers and other technical experts to develop concepts, perform engineering analyses, design experiments, build and test prototypes, and analyze experimental/system data.

• Design and execute experiments supporting defectivity and contamination-control projects.
• Analyze experimental and system data and translate results into practical engineering recommendations.
• Investigate technical problems using structured root cause analysis and scientific methods.
• Support development and characterization of materials, components, processes, tooling, or test equipment.
• Document technical work through clear test plans, analysis, and engineering reports.
• Present conclusions and recommendations based on scientific evidence to audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Collaborate effectively across disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, software, physics, chemistry, materials, and systems engineering.
• Work under the guidance of ASML Architects, Defectivity Delivery team lead, and senior engineering mentors supporting the development of advanced lithography equipment.

This position is located on-site in Wilton, CT. It requires onsite presence to attend in-person work-related events, trainings and meetings and to further ensure teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Must be available for 12 weeks for one of these sessions starting with the following dates: 6/2/2027 or 6/14/2027

Education and Experience

Candidate for a Bachelor's or advanced degree in an applicable Science or Engineering discipline, including:

• Materials Science or Materials Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics
• Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Software Engineering / Data Science
• Related engineering or scientific disciplines

At minimum, candidates pursuing a Bachelor's degree should have completed approximately two years of their degree program.

• Strong interest in solving multidisciplinary engineering problems.
• Comfortable working with experienced engineers and technical experts in a collaborative environment.
• Genuine interest in materials, contamination control, defectivity, physics, and/or precision engineering systems.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to connect experimental results to practical engineering decisions.
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills.
• Self-motivated, curious, adaptable, and willing to learn new technical areas.
• Able to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Customer-focused mindset and interest in developing systems that perform reliably in demanding production environments.

The current base hourly range for this role is currently:

$18.00 to $48.00 per hour

Pay scales are determined by role, level, location and alignment with market data. Individual pay is determined through interviews and an assessment of several factors that that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and pay relative to other team members

This position may require access to controlled technology, as defined in the 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 the Company 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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