Coatings Materials Scientist

# Coatings Materials Scientist Xcimer Energy Materials## Coatings Materials Scientist Denver, CO Engineering – Materials and Process Engineering /Full-Time /On-site### Responsibilities
* Develop and optimize fluorine-resistant optical coatings for laser-facing components, including mirrors, windows, and diagnostic optics.
* Design and evaluate fluorine-compatible material systems for broader system applications (e.g., chambers, fixtures, and exposed hardware).
* Work closely with the optics and laser engineering teams to define coating requirements, performance targets, and integration constraints.
* Lead hands-on coating deposition efforts, including thin film development, process tuning, and substrate preparation.
* Design and execute test plans and Design of Experiments (DOE) to evaluate coating adhesion, durability, chemical resistance, and optical performance.
* Perform detailed materials and coating characterization, including microstructural, compositional, and optical property analysis.
* Analyze failure modes (e.g., delamination, degradation under fluorine exposure) and drive root cause investigations and corrective actions.
* Develop and document coating processes, specifications, and qualification procedures.
* Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors to scale coating processes from lab development to pilot and high-volume manufacturing.
* Support integration of coatings into system hardware, including validation under relevant operating conditions.
* Contribute to the development of experimental infrastructure and coating test platforms within M&P.### Qualifications
* ** Education**:
PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics or a closely related field.
* ** Experience**: 5–10 years of industry experience in coating development, materials engineering, or related fields.
* Demonstrated experience developing optical coatings and/or protective coatings for harsh environments.
* ** Strong understanding of:**  + Thin film deposition processes (e.g., PVD, CVD, IBS, ALD, sputtering, evaporation, plasma-based methods)  + Coating adhesion, stress, and durability mechanisms  + Optical coating performance (reflectivity, absorption, damage thresholds)
* Hands-on experience with coating fabrication and processing.
* ** Hands-on expertise with materials and coating characterization tools, including:**  + Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)  + Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)  + Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS/EDX)  + X-ray Diffraction (XRD)  + Optical microscopy and profilometry  + Surface analysis and coating thickness/roughness measurements  + Strong ability to correlate microstructure, composition, and processing conditions to coating performance
* Experience designing and executing DOE and structured experiments.
* Ability to independently troubleshoot complex materials and coating failures.
* Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, hardware-focused environment.
* Execution-focused mindset with the ability to move quickly from concept to validation.
* Strong collaborator, able to work across optics, materials, and system teams
* Strong data analysis skills and familiarity with statistical methods.
* Experience writing technical reports, specifications, and documentation.
* Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.### Desired
* Experience developing coatings for chemically aggressive environments, particularly fluorine or halogen chemistries.
* Background in laser optics, optical coatings, or high-energy laser systems.
* Experience transitioning coatings from R&D to pilot or high-volume manufacturing.
* Familiarity with scaling coating processes for industrial production.
* Experience working with external coating vendors or contract manufacturers.
* Knowledge of coating durability testing standards (thermal cycling, chemical exposure, laser damage).
* Experience in system-level integration of coatings into hardware environments.
* Highly hands-on and experimental, comfortable working in lab and hardware environments.$140,000 - $170,000 a year
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