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: Nanocalorimetry for In-Situ Plasma Monitoring
U.S. Citizen Preferred
The work will entail:
The Materials Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking qualified persons (U.S. Citizens Preferred) 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 incorporating these novel sensors into a custom plasma chamber and determining their utility for in-situ characterization of plasma-based etching and deposition processes.
Key resonsibilites
- Design and assemble a custom plasma reactor that integrates NIST-produced nanocalorimetry sensors as well as other common plasma diagnostic tools.
- Perform experiments using a variety of plasma types and conditions relevant for semiconductor manufacturing processes, utilizing nanocalorimetry along with other plasma diagnostic techniques for in-situ monitoring.
- Data interpretation to understand the parameters during plasma processes and assess the feasibility of using nanocalorimetry as a process monitoring technique.
- Publish results in peer reviewed scientific journals and present results at scientific conferences.
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering or related field.
- Hands-on expertise in the design and assembly of custom plasma reactors, as well as experience using plasma diagnostic techniques such as Langmuir and optical probes.
- Experience with calorimetry-based measurements of temperature and/or thermal properties of materials.
- Understanding of measurements of radical/ionic fluxes and energy distributions at the substrate level, as well as deep knowledge of plasma-surface interactions.
- Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Please upload the following (preferably in a single PDF) with your application:
- CV/Resume
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