Scientist – Materials Characterization

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced Electron Microscopy & Spectroscopy Expert Operation: Provide primary technical support and high-level operation of Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM/STEM).
• Analytical Spectroscopy: Execute and interpret complex chemical and structural analysis using EDS and EELS.
• Device Characterization: Perform detailed analysis of electronic devices, specifically targeting defect characterization, interfacial phenomena, and dopant/strain mapping.
• FIB Operations: Utilize Focused Ion Beam (FIB) systems for the site-specific preparation of high-quality TEM lamellae.
• Precision Sample Preparation: Master in-situ lift-out and precision thinning/cleaning protocols to ensure optimal samples for aberration-corrected imaging.
• Routine Development: Develop and deploy custom automation routines using manufacturer APIs and scripting (e.g., Python, DM Script) to streamline data collection.
• Software Integration: Leverage state-of-the-art software suites (e.g., Velox, GMS3) to implement high-throughput workflows.
• Data Pipelines: Establish standardized processing pipelines to handle large datasets generated by high-speed detectors.
• Research Partnership & Technique Development: Partner with the research team to develop novel analytical techniques tailored to specific materials of interest.
• Mentorship & Career Growth: Partner with senior scientists to acquire specialized technical intuition in advanced TEM and aberration-corrected microscopy.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required due to the nature of the work and customer requirements.
• Ph.D. or M.S. in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience with TEM/STEM imaging and diffraction.
• Functional knowledge of EDS and EELS data acquisition and quantification.
• Hands-on experience with FIB-based TEM lamella preparation (lift-out).
• Proficiency (or strong aptitude) in Python or similar scripting for data manipulation.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with electronic device failure analysis and defect engineering.
• Familiarity with 4D-STEM or other emerging electron optic modalities.
• Strong communication skills and a desire to work in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary environment.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule, and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.