Prof. Dr Marcelo Ackermann has been appointed Professor of Physics of Nanolithography at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The joint professorship, shared with the University of Amsterdam (UvA), strengthens collaboration between the two universities and the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL).
Ackermann is Director of ARCNL and will also remain Professor at the University of Twente, where he previously led the XUV Optics Industrial Focus Group within the MESA+ Institute. His appointment connects research communities in Amsterdam and Enschede and underlines the importance of advanced lithography for both science and industry in the Netherlands.
Lithography is the technology used to produce the increasingly small and complex structures on computer chips. It is essential to the digital devices that shape everyday life, from smartphones and medical equipment to data centres and artificial intelligence systems. The Netherlands plays a leading role in this field, with ASML at the centre of a broad network of companies and research institutions. Maintaining this position requires fundamental research into the physics and engineering behind next-generation chip production. As ARCNL Director, Ackermann works at this interface between fundamental science and industrial application.
ARCNL was founded by the UvA, VU Amsterdam, NWO and ASML. Ackermann’s new role further reinforces the links between ARCNL and its academic partners. It also supports closer collaboration among researchers working on nanolithography-related topics in the Netherlands and internationally. This autumn, Ackermann will deliver a joint inaugural lecture to mark his appointments at VU Amsterdam and the UvA.