Postdoctoral Research Associate – X-ray Scattering Modeling

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Organization Overview:

The Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at Brookhaven is a DOE-funded national scientific user facility, offering users a supported research experience with top-caliber scientists and access to state-of-the-art instrumentation. The CFN mission is advancing nanoscience through frontier fundamental research and technique development and is the nexus of a broad collaboration network. Each year, CFN staff members support the research of nearly 600 external facility users.

Three strategic nanoscience themes underlie the CFN scientific facilities: The CFN conducts research on nanomaterial synthesis by assembly designing precise architectures with targeted functionality by organizing nanoscale components.  The CFN researches and applies platforms for state-of-the-art techniques for Accelerated Nanomaterial Discovery, integrating synthesis, advanced characterization, physical modeling, and computer science to iteratively explore a wide range of material parameters. The CFN develops and utilizes advanced capabilities for studies of Nanomaterials in Operando Conditions for characterizing materials and reactions at the atomic scale in real-world environments.

Position Description:

The CFN is seeking an exceptional postdoctoral researcher to develop advanced x-ray scattering techniques for the study of nanofabricated patterns. In this position, you will advance x-ray data modeling methods and software, focusing primarily on critical-dimension small angle X-ray scattering (CD-SAXS) for ultra-high-resolution nanoscale patterns, as a key part of a broader project to develop next-generation resists for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). You will develop computational workflows for CD-SAXS, including robust data modeling and fitting, multi-modal data correlation, and the exploration of machine-learning techniques to accelerate scattering analysis. You will collaborate with researchers at CFN, NSLS-II, and NIST.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

In this role, you will have these roles and responsibilities:

• You will collect, analyze, and fit complex x-ray scattering datasets.

• You will develop robust software workflows for extracting physical parameters from CD-SAXS datasets, incorporating uncertainty quantification.

• You will research and develop frontier analysis methods, including machine-learning approaches, for the accelerated interpretation of x-ray scattering data.

• You will develop multi-modal data analysis method to understand material physics (e.g., correlation across latent and developed lithographic patterns).

• You will collaborate with researchers possessing a broad range scientific expertise and interests in lithography, x-ray scattering, and adjacent fields.

Position Requirements:

You are qualified for this role if:

• You have earned a Ph.D. in physics, electrical engineering, material science, chemistry, chemical engineering, computer science, or a related discipline within the past five years, or will complete this degree prior to starting the position;

• You have first-hand experience collecting, analyzing, and fitting x-ray scattering data;

• You are skilled with Python-based scientific programming;

• You have demonstrated an ability to communicate effectively by writing scientific papers and giving technical presentations;

• You are committed to fostering an environment of safe scientific work practices.

Other Information:

BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.

Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $68,400.00 - $113,250.00 /year. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.

Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate are committed to your success. We offer a supportive work environment and the resources necessary for you