Postdoctoral researcher
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 strain measurement methods for
semiconductor devices and packages. The candidate will operate a first-of-its-kind Electron
Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) detector, create
samples using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) instruments, and perform innovative data processing
using both commercial and custom developed tools. Collaboration externally with
semiconductor entities, detector manufacturers, and analysis software vendors, as well as
internally at NIST with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) aspects of the project are
critical to success.
HR-EBSD/HR-TKD Strain Measurement for Semiconductor Devices (CHIPS Funded Project)
- Ph.D. in materials science, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering or related field.
- Hands-on expertise operating scanning electron microscopes with EBSD detectors.
- Experience with developing custom data analysis workflows including image processing
using programming environments like python, C++, Mathematica, Matlab, or similar. - Comprehension of the mechanics of materials including stress, strain, and deformation.
Mathematical formalizations of single crystal elasticity are required, as well as basic
understanding of crystalline defects that influence strain. - Basic understanding of the finite element analysis (FEA) method for simulation of the
mechanical behavior of complex geometries like transistors. - Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a
team. - U.S. Citizen Preferred.
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Operating a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to collect EBSD data for HR-EBSD
analysis. - Analyzing HR-EBSD data with commercial, open source, and custom developed software.
- Performing assessments of precision and accuracy of strain measurements using NIST
developed reference materials and customized samples. - Using commercial and open-source codes to generate simulated EBSD patterns for
comparison with experimental patterns and for assessing performance of new HR-EBSD
analysis tools. - Operating a state-of-the-art automated FIB to create electron transparent samples from
blanket films and leading node semiconductor devices for strain measurements via TKD and
4D-STEM. - Collaborating with the Strain Measurement for Semiconductor Devices and Packages team
within NIST, as well as with external stakeholders. - Publishing results in peer reviewed scientific journals and present results at scientific
conferences.