Research Scholar

North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC

184d

About The Position

North Carolina State University has a foundational legacy of disruptive innovation in wide-bandgap materials, optoelectronic devices, and large-scale photonic integrated circuits. We are establishing advanced research capabilities to build radically different photonic and optoelectronic systems operating in the ultra-violet to visible to near-IR spectral regime based on integrating wide-bandgap semiconductors (primarily III-Nitride materials) and III-V compound materials. These advances will enable radical advances in various fields, including sensors, imaging, visible-light/IR communications, computational accelerators, AI infrastructure, chip-scale atomic systems (including optical clocks), quantum photonics, and quantum communications. The core photonics and optoelectronics effort at NCSU has over 100 cumulative years of leadership experience in advancing state-of-the-art solutions in III-nitride materials and devices, optoelectronics/photonics, and photonic integrated circuits. We have world-leading capabilities and research efforts in the areas of crystal growth, materials integration, device processing, and device/system design. We are now seeking to enhance and grow this effort in the areas of integrated photonic devices.

Requirements

• PhD in electrical engineering, photonics, physics, or any closely related engineering field.
• Proven hands-on experience in micro/nanofabrication within an academic or industrial cleanroom setting.
• Experience with photolithography, contact lithography, e-beam lithography, ICP-RIE, PECVD, ALD, SEM, AFM, wafer-bonding, RTA.
• Mask layout (GDSFactory, Luceda, L-Edit, Synopsys OptoDesigner, etc.).
• Strong organizational and planning abilities.
• Detail-oriented, capable of following standard procedures, and able to work both independently and collaboratively with the current team and others.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with simulations of active/passive photonic devices such as waveguides, couplers, meta-lenses constructed of various materials.
• Inverse or AI/ML-aided photonic design experience.
• Experience re-iterating the design/fabrication/characterization life cycle.
• Laboratory and measurement automation (e.g. Python).
• Experience with statistical analysis for quality control (QC) and process optimization.
• Expertise in process development and troubleshooting, proficiency with device layout software, computer programming skills, and data analysis capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Fabrication of various chip-scale photonic devices (e.g., Stepper, contact, and E-beam lithography, wet etching, RIE, ICP-RIE, wafer-bonding, PECVD, metal sputter/evaporation, ALD, lapping/polishing, dicing, etc.).
• Utilize SEM, AFM, ellipsometry, and image processing tools for nanofabrication characterization.
• Documenting all technical work and reporting to team leads.
• Perform measurements of photonic integrated circuits and be able to automate fiber alignment systems with custom scripts (e.g., Python).
• Exhibit strong judgment and proactive decision-making to resolve key issues and ensure project and product deadlines are met.
• Plan and conduct experiments efficiently, analyze metrology results, and generate reports to inform design and process decisions.
• Mentor Ph.D., Master, and Undergraduate student researchers.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals and peer-reviewed academic conferences.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Programs
• Disability Plans
• Life Insurance
• Accident Plan
• Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
• 12 Holidays Each Year
• Tuition and Academic Assistance
• Childcare benefits
• Wellness & Recreation Membership
• Wellness Programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree