Master’s Thesis: Transferring large substrates in display photomask manufacturing

For more than 50 years, photolithography has been the manufacturing method enabling the next generation of products: from the first cost-effective transistors and sensors to today’s supercomputers and pixel-dense displays. Decades of R&D work across the globe have enabled large-scale manufacturing on the nanometer scale with great precision, repeatability, and yield. One of the well-established actors in the field is Täby-based Mycronic, specializing in creating the machines for manufacturing of the photomasks – the stencils used to mass produce products with photolithography.

Mycronic develops maskwriters for both semiconductor and display markets, with the size of the substrates turned into photomasks as one of the main differentiators. The display photomasks are thick, heavy, and highly sensitive slabs of glass coated with chromium and a photosensitive resist. Transferring the substrate in and out of the maskwriter is a big challenge. The loading process has to minimize particle generation and disturbances to the climate-controlled writing chamber, while gently and repeatably positioning substrates of varying sizes with sub-millimeter accuracy.

Mycronic’s Pattern Generator division (PG) now seeks two master’s thesis students to explore new solutions for loading and unloading display photomasks. What principles can be used to transfer heavy and sensitive substrates?

Scope of the thesis project

This thesis requires the students to collect, understand, and evaluate the stakeholder needs for a substrate loader. The findings form the foundation for concept exploration of proven methods and novel ideas on how to handle substrates.

The expected outcome is a well-defined set of requirements, and one or more refined concepts accompanied by evaluations of how they can be realized and how well they meet requirements. While the concepts addresses the engineering centric research question, the practical task may also support exploration of academic questions in this industry. Some examples:

• How should established concept-development methods be adapted when applied in a mature, highly specialized technical context?
• How to optimize a design to a tightly constrained requirement list, and evaluate the outcome of the priorities for different stakeholder needs?
• What methods can expand the design space in a context where incremental changes and strict requirements are the norm?

Qualifications

We suggest that this thesis project is carried out by two engineering students, with backgrounds in design and product development, mechatronics, or mechanical engineering. We firmly believe that students with complementary skill sets will excel in this project, and that the skill of translating needs to a diverse set of technical solutions will be key.

Support at Mycronic

At Mycronic, your supervisor is a system engineer with hands-on experience with the display maskwriters. You will regularly be in contact with several subsystem specialists and indirectly with customers, and get additional support from mechanical design experts.

The thesis project can be carried out at our headquarters in Täby or partially remotely, with visits to meet the experts and learn about the maskwriters and the cleanroom environment in which we operate.

Details
Scope: Master’s thesis, 30 ECTS
Number of students: Two
Location: Täby, with the possibility of partial remote work
Start: Spring 2027
Language: English

Contact information
David Luthman, group manager
david.luthman@mycronic.com

Arvid Wittwång, supervisor
arvid.wittwång@mycronic.com

How to apply
Click ‘Apply now’ below and submit your CV, cover letter and academic transcripts.