This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.
Research Title:
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Electron Microscopy – Strain Measurement
The work will entail:
NIST is actively seeking a candidate for a postdoctoral research position as part of a project related to the CHIPS for America Act. The project seeks to develop robust, quantitative methods for measuring mechanical strain in real-world semiconductor devices. Geometric complexity and the importance of strain in state-of-the-art nanoelectronics continue to increase, and this project is focused on improving the accuracy of existing techniques (EBSD, TKD, 4-D STEM, Raman, µXRD, etc.) and supplying new reference materials to industry to ensure capabilities for future-generation devices.
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Sample preparation via focused ion beam methods
- Collecting and processing of 4DSTEM and other electron microscopy data
- Presenting results at internal meetings, and occasional meetings with external stakeholders.
- Ensuring that results, protocols, software, and documentation have been archived or otherwise transmitted to the larger organization.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, or a related field with a concentration in electron microscopy methods
- Experience in the collection and processing of TEM/STEM data
- Computer programming for custom data processing
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.