Physical Scientist

Summary

NIST works with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life. We're looking for a Physical Scientist to join our team! This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Duties

The Optical Radiation Group has received CHIPS R&D Metrology funding to work with a multidisciplinary team to model, design, and build a brand-new metrology tool for semiconductor chip inspection. The extreme ultraviolet scatterometry tool will employ spectroscopic ellipsometry of extreme-ultraviolet light to measure the chemistry and atomic-scale features of semiconductors chips. The Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF III) team is seeking viable researchers to assist in the design, construction, calibration, and operation of this new scatterometry end station. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will be expected to communicate and collaborate with team members, other NIST teams, and external teams, and present and publish results as appropriate.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must: Possess at least 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level (ZP-II at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as: 1. Experience in designing and constructing mechanical systems to include the use of CAD software 2. Experience working with ultra-high vacuum systems 3. Experience with the LabVIEW programming environment 4. Experience working in at least 2 of the following areas: spectroscopy, diffraction, polarization, ellipsometry, optical properties of materials, and/or semiconductor devices. OR Master's or equivalent degree OR Combination of education and experience Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. Applicant Reconsideration