Postdoctoral Fellow; PREP

PREP Research Associate – CHIPS Funded Project

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is inviting applications for a PREP Research Associate in the Materials Measurement Laboratory. This role will support a national effort to advance strain measurement methods for semiconductor devices using electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD). U.S. citizens are preferred.

• Operate a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to collect EBSD data for HR-EBSD analysis.
• Analyze HR-EBSD data with commercial, open-source, and custom-developed software.
• Assess precision and accuracy of strain measurements using NIST reference materials and customized samples.
• Generate simulated EBSD patterns with commercial/open-source codes for comparison with experimental data.
• Operate an automated focused ion beam (FIB) to create electron-transparent samples from semiconductor devices for TKD and 4D-STEM strain measurements.
• Collaborate internally at NIST and with external stakeholders such as semiconductor companies and detector manufacturers.
• Publish results in peer reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences.

• Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering or related field.
• Hands-on expertise operating scanning electron microscopes with EBSD detectors.
• Experience with developing custom data-analysis workflows, including image processing in programming environments such as Python, C++, Mathematica, MATLAB.
• Knowledge of the mechanics of materials including stress, strain, deformation and single-crystal elasticity.
• Basic understanding of finite element analysis (FEA) for mechanical simulation of complex geometries.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• U.S. Citizen is preferred.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.