Associate Research Scientist (PREP0004123) Part-time

Associate Research Scientist

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.

Research Title: Understanding failure in novel microelectronics material systems (U.S. Citizens Preferred)

The work will entail: The Materials Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking qualified persons (U.S. Citizens Preferred) to perform a peridynamic-based analysis for failure that can transition seamlessly between brittle and ductile fracture behavior and between quasi-static and dynamic failure. The work will focus primarily on interface failure caused by loading near or away from the interface. The application of this study is relevant to structures of interest in the semiconductor industry, particularly dielectric/metal interfaces subjected to various loading conditions that mimic potential mechanical stresses during fabrication or operational lifetime.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Peridynamic modeling of elastic and elastoplastic behavior from nanoindentation in a brittle substrate with ductile inclusions near the indentation site.
• Peridynamic modeling of interface failure due to loading near or distant from the interface between brittle and ductile regions.
• Investigation of crack dynamics near material interfaces based on interface strength.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present results at scientific conferences.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Materials Science or another related field
• 10 years of experience with computational materials research
• Skilled in using various computational techniques to analyze the elastoplastic behavior of materials, including peridynamic analysis.
• Familiarity with materials commonly used in microelectronic devices and assemblies.
• Independent worker with strong written and oral communication skills