PREP0004140 Nanocalorimetry Metrology Senior Researcher

PREP Research Associate

Opportunity No.: PREP0004140

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (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, and 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.

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Nanocalorimetry Metrology Senior Researcher

Project Description:

The Materials Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking qualified persons to join a multi-disciplinary team of scientists working to advance the current state-of-the-art in nanocalorimetry-based measurements for monitoring of semiconductor manufacturing processes. This individual will work closely with the leaders of this multi-effort project but will personally be responsible for improving our measurement capabilities by making upgrades to existing hardware, software, and strategies for integrating the technique with plasma- and ALD-based tools used in semiconductor manufacturing. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Design and assemble new instrumentation to improve the accuracy, sensitivity, speed, and stability of nanocalorimetry measurements. Includes developing LabVIEW-based data acquisition systems, integrating new and existing hardware, and data analysis workflows
• Perform measurements to characterize the thermal properties of thin film materials
• Support parallel research efforts to utilize nanocalorimetry for in-situ monitoring of semiconductor manufacturing processes
• Publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present results at scientific conferences

Desired Qualifications: 

• U.S. Citizens Preferred
• Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, or related field
• Hands-on experience with building and maintaining custom lab instrumentation, including extensive experience with LabVIEW.  Experience with FPGA modules preferred
• Expertise in designing custom electronics, including PCB layout and analog circuit design
• Knowledge of common nanofabrication processes. Experience working in cleanrooms a plus
• Knowledge of thermal property measurements. Hands-on experience or specialized knowledge of calorimetry preferred
• Strong written & oral communication skills; ability to work independently and in 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 position. Extensions are sometimes granted depending on the availability of funds.
• For questions related to the research project or the nature of the work in this position, please contact Dr. Feng Yi (feng.yi@nist.gov). For questions related to the online application or NIST PREP more generally, please contact msu-nistprep@morgan.edu.

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Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate the administrative functions of the PREP Program.

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Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use the information you submit for the purpose stated.