Senior Staff Scientist - Optical Coatings

Senior Staff Scientist
- Optical Coatings

Join us at Corning, one of the world's leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what's possible. With our people, we break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward.

At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.

Today, we accelerate and transform life sciences, mobile consumer electronics, optical communications, display, automotive, and solar markets. We are changing the world with:

• Trusted products that accelerate drug discovery, development, and delivery to save lives
• Damage-resistant cover glass to enhance the devices that keep us connected
• Optical fiber, wireless technologies, and connectivity solutions to carry information and ideas at the speed of light
• Precision glass for advanced displays to deliver richer experiences
• Auto glass and ceramics to drive cleaner, safer, and smarter transportation
• Solar polysilicon, wafers, and innovative photovoltaic modules, enabling low-cost solar energy solutions

Role

Purpose:

Lead coating development projects for Advanced Optics, with a focus on Precision Optics (semiconductor inspection) and Laser Optics (lithography). This role drives new coating designs, improves existing coatings and processes, supports early-stage customer programs, and contributes to long-term coating technology strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop new coating designs for semiconductor inspection and lithography applications
• Optimize coating designs and processes to improve performance, reliability, durability, and cost
• Lead technical development for early-stage Precision Optics programs
• Support long-term coating and surface technology initiatives with Research
• Define and execute DOE plans, sample coating, testing, and analysis
• Guide technicians and engineers across development coating platforms, including PVD, plasma-assisted PVD, IBS, magnetron sputtering, and ALD
• Improve manufacturing performance through coating design, materials, fixtures, and metrology
• Provide clear, proactive reporting and cross-functional technical support throughout development and production

Expertise:

• Strong background in materials science, thin films, coating design, and optical coating processes
• Experience with optical coatings across IR, visible, and DUV wavelengths; VUV/EUV knowledge is a plus
• Familiarity with metrology tools such as ellipsometry, AFM, and optical performance testing
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Development, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Research teams

Experiences/Education

- Required:

• Ph.D. in Physics, Material Science, or Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, or Electrical), or equivalent, with at least 10 years of experience OR 15+ years of relevant experience will be required for non-Ph.D. applicants.
• Strong problem-solving skills in complex materials, processes and equipment.
• Deep expertise in physical vapor deposition methods (PVD) for optical thin films, and associated optical properties, microstructure, stress, distribution on non-flat complex shapes and influence of varying light energy interaction with substrates and films.
• Strong technical skills in optical thin film design, materials selection, processing, characterization, and optical measurements via Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.
• Experience in supporting or leading R&D project plans with business focus.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Experiences/Education
- Desired:

• Knowledge of additional coating technologies including Plasma Assisted PVD, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Ion Beam Sputtering, Magnetron Sputtering, and Optical Monitoring Systems.
• Experience in advanced metrology tools such as AFM, TOF-SIMS, and PCI absorption analysis
• Optical design knowledge beyond coating (modeling for complex assemblies of mirrors, lenses, prisms or assemblies)
• Project management competencies
• Team leadership…