Internship | Laser-Assisted High-throughput Microcomponent Assembly

One of the key expertise areas of TNO/Holst Centre is Laser-Assisted High-throughput Microcomponent Assembly. With the growing demand for ever-smaller devices, such as mini- and microLED displays with higher resolution rates, there is an unstoppable trend towards miniaturisation of components. High-speed, mass-production of these electronics is getting more and more difficult, because the handling and accurate placement of these tiny components is very challenging. Each component needs to be carefully selected, transferred and then accurately placed and assembled with interconnects – all at lightning speeds. As conventional industrial equipment fail to deposit ultrafine pattens of die attach material and handle such tiny components at required high rates, this calls for development of alternative high-throughput assembly technologies.

As you can imagine, a lot of things need to fall into place in order to make this happen. One important piece of this puzzle is the placement of the die attach material, which will make both a physical and electrical connection of the component to the substrate. At Holst Centre we developed a laser based technology which is capable of printing ultra-fine dots of die-attach material. For this technology an embossed transparent carrier mask (see figure below) is filled with the die attach material, which is then transferred using a single laser pulse. A crucial part of this is the correct and reproducible filling of the carrier mask. In order to optimize this filling process, an automatic coating setup has been designed and built. The goal of this internship is to use the automatic coating setup to optimize the filling parameters and then based on the findings to oversee the design and building of a dedicated filling tool for further development of the process.

As a team member your tasks will be:

• Knowledge acquisition through literature survey and discussion with other team members;
• Performing experiments in clean-room labs;
• Analysis of the experimental data and presentation thereof;
• Documenting results in a technical report and taking part in technical meetings, internal seminars/colloquiums.

You are an ambitious hands-on student from mechanical engineering, materials science or (applied) physics. You have good communication skills in English and you are independent, but also a team player. This student projects will be an internship with a preferable total duration of 9 months (with the least period of 6 months). If you are looking forward to work in a challenging atmosphere with highly skilled co-workers, then please apply for this vacancy now.

You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It’s not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That’s why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. Since 1932, we have been making knowledge and technology available for the common good. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world. Read more about TNO as an employer.

At TNO we encourage an inclusive work environment, where you can be yourself. Whatever your story and whatever unique qualities you bring to the table. It is by combining our unique strengths and perspectives that we are able to develop innovations that make a real difference in society. Want to know more? Read what steps we are taking in the area of diversity and inclusion.

After the first CV selection, the application process will be conducted by the concerning department. TNO will provide a suitable internship agreement. If you have any questions about this vacancy, you can contact the contact person mentioned below.

Important to be aware of before applying:

• Before the start of the internship, the internship agreement from TNO needs to be signed. For students at a college or university based in the Netherlands, TNO uses the UNL-template (supplemented with a number of specific agreements from TNO). For students of foreign and MBO educational institutions, the TNO internship agreement applies. TNO does not sign any other internship agreements.
• Before the start of the internship, the educational institution will need to confirm in writing that:
  • you are enrolled at the educational institution during the internship, and;
  • the internship takes place as part of the programme of the study.
• The confirmation of educational institution takes place by signing the UNL template or forms prepared by TNO.
• Interns at TNO must be in possession of a Dutch residential address at the start of the internship. Performance of internship activities from abroad is not possible.