PREP0004043 Nanocalorimetry Researcher

Nanocalorimetry Semiconductor Metrology Researcher

Project Description:

The candidate will join a multi-disciplinary team of scientists working to advance the current state-of-the-art in nanocalorimetry-based measurements and expand the technique’s applicability to monitoring of semiconductor manufacturing processes. The goals of the project are to (1) improve upon existing nanocalorimetry measurement capabilities at NIST and (2) determine the feasibility of using nanocalorimetry for in-situ monitoring of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-based processes. The major responsibilities of the candidate will include making improvements to the existing nanocalorimetry equipment and measurement capabilities. This includes, but is not limited to, modifying the existing instrumentation to provide better sensitivity and stability, developing corresponding data acquisition and analysis systems, performing measurements to determine thermal properties of nanoscale materials commonly found in semiconductor devices, and supporting the nanocalorimetry based semiconductor process metrology development, including ALD and plasma.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Design and assemble new instrumentation to improve the accuracy, sensitivity, speed, and stability of experiments using NIST nanocalorimetry sensors
• Collaborate with team members on the development, fabrication, and testing of new sensor designs and applications
• Publish results in refereed scientific journals and present results at scientific conferences and meetings

Desired Qualifications: 

• Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering or related field
• Expertise with building and maintaining custom lab instrumentation required; knowledge of electronics, PCB layout, and analog circuit design would be a plus
• LabVIEW experience required, experience with FPGA systems would be a plus
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

Other Details:

• Full-time: the participant is expected to work 40 hours a week
• Location: the participant will work at the NIST Gaithersburg Campus.
• Duration: this is expected to be a one year and 10 month position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.