Post-Doctoral Fellow in Digital Twins for Atomic Layer Deposition and Semiconductor Manufacturing
George Washington University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are seeking a
Post-Doctoral Fellow
for a high-impact project on
digital twins for atomic layer deposition (ALD)
and semiconductor manufacturing. The role is based at the
NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
, and is part of a CHIPS Act initiative focused on improving the modeling and optimization of deposition processes for oxides, metals, and sulfides.
The project combines
chemistry
,
physics
, and
materials science
with advanced
optical metrology
,
computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
, and
machine learning (ML)
. The selected fellow will help develop in-situ metrology tools to quantify mass transport during thermal ALD, generate experimental ground-truth data, and validate models that predict surface reactions and film growth with high accuracy.
Responsibilities include operating and maintaining research-grade ALD reactors and custom optical setups, performing temporally and spatially resolved measurements from UV to mid-IR during active deposition, validating transport and surface-reaction models with process data, collaborating with experts in MEMS design, numerical modeling, and vapor-phase chemistry, and publishing/presenting research findings.
Applicants should hold a
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field
. Strong hands-on experience with ALD reactor design, assembly, and maintenance is required, along with expertise in in-situ diagnostics, custom laboratory instrumentation, vapor transport mechanisms, precursor chemistry, and process optimization.
This is a
postdoctoral opening
; the post does not specify salary, stipend, or deadline. Interested candidates should use the application link provided in the post to apply.