Application Scientist, R&D Semi

Join Rigaku in shaping a better world through new perspectives!

• TSAXS Modeling & Application Development
  • Develop and apply physics‑based scattering models, including interpretation of reciprocal space features and scattering from periodic nanostructures.
  • Build and optimize model‑based fitting approaches to extract critical dimensional and material parameters.
  • Interpret complex scattering data and translate results into physically meaningful and actionable insights.
  • Evaluate and improve model robustness, parameter sensitivity, and fitting stability across varying sample conditions.
• Data Analysis & Method Development
  • Utilize existing analysis software to perform advanced data fitting, parameter extraction, and statistical evaluation.
  • Identify optimal modeling strategies for new structures, including geometry selection, parameter constraints, and fitting workflows.
  • Troubleshoot challenging datasets, including issues related to model non‑uniqueness, correlation, and convergence.
  • Develop best‑known methods (BKMs) for data analysis and application workflows.
• Customer Engagement & Technical Support
  • Work closely with internal teams and key customers to understand measurement challenges and deliver effective solutions.
  • Support early tool deployments, application bring‑up, and critical customer evaluations.
  • Provide high‑level technical guidance on model selection, fitting strategy, and data interpretation.
  • Communicate complex technical results clearly to both expert and non‑expert audiences.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with R&D and product teams to provide feedback on application requirements and software capabilities.
  • Help translate customer needs into requirements for future algorithm and software development.
  • Collaborate with field applications teams to ensure successful handoff and scaling of new applications.

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in semiconductor metrology, process characterization, or thin‑film/nanostructure analysis.
• Demonstrated experience working with scattering‑based techniques (e.g., SAXS, CD‑SAXS, XRD, XRR, or related methods).
• Experience with model‐based data analysis and parameter extraction from experimental measurements.

• Strong understanding of X‑ray scattering physics and diffraction‑based measurement techniques.
• Experience with model‑based fitting approaches.
• Ability to analyze complex datasets and understand parameter sensitivity, correlation, and uncertainty.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis and data interpretation in experimental contexts.
• Experience using commercial or in‑house metrology software tools for data analysis (no software development required).

• Familiarity with advanced semiconductor structures (e.g., 3D NAND, DRAM, advanced logic nodes, patterning).
• Experience with inverse modeling of scattering data, including challenges related to non‑unique solutions and parameter correlation.
• Experience developing best‑known methods (BKMs) or standardized analysis workflows.
• Background in optical or X‑ray scatterometry (OCD) or similar model‑based metrology techniques.
• Experience supporting customer‑facing technical engagements or field applications.
• Ability to work effectively in ambiguous, early‑stage application environments.
• Japanese language proficiency (spoken and/or written) and experience collaborating with Japan‑based engineering teams is strongly preferred.