Pieter Kruit

Research Interest: Electron Optics, Electron Microscope Design, Ion Sources

Academic Background:
Pieter Kruit is emeritus professor of physics at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. He has had a chair in charged particle optics from 1989 until November 2022.

His research has always been related to the development of electron- and ion-optical instruments, “trying to improve our eyes to look at the microscopic world and the hands that we use to create a new nano-world”. He has had research programs on nm-resolution electron spectroscopy, developments of low energy-spread electron- and ion sources and multi-beam optics for microscopy and lithography. Most of his work was performed in cooperation with industry. For his work in electron lithography he founded, with two of his graduates, MAPPER Lithography. After bancrupcy, this initiative resulted in the Delft branch of ASML. His involvement in trying to reduce magnetic disturbances from a planned tramway through the university has led to a novel current supply system to be implemented on the Delft campus. Based on his ideas on combining electron microscopy with light microscopy, he started. with some of his co-workers and students, the company DELMIC. Among his organizational responsibilities was the presidency of the Dutch Society for Microscopy, the editorship of Ultramicroscopy and the directorship of the Delft physics education. In acknowledgement for his contributions he received the national physics “Valorization award” and the University’s yearly teaching award. In 2012 he was knighted in the order of the Dutch Lion. In September 2021, he started a new career as Chief Technology Officer of the electron column department of Applied Materials.