Postdoctoral Researcher - Thin Film Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Nitride Semiconductors for Solar Energy Conversion and Fuel Generation

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Mar 27

Applications are closed

Job
Full-time
Entry Level
Research & Development
$73.2K - $120.8K
Golden

Requirements

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications:
PhD in Chemistry, Material Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering or related fields
Candidates should have at least a few of the following:
Prior hands-on experience with thin film synthesis based on physical vapor deposition processes such as reactive sputtering or molecular beam epitaxy.
Expertise in novel chemical spaces, underexplored materials chemistries, and/or metastable materials (e.g., nitrides, phosphides, complex chalcogenides, etc.).
In-depth knowledge of one or several materials optoelectronic property measurement methods, such as photoconductivity, time-resolved photoluminescence, transient absorption spectroscopy , etc.
Good understanding of solid-state chemistry, crystallography, materials design principles, and structure-property relations in inorganic materials
Established track record in scientific writing, presentation, publishing, and communication.
Preferred Qualifications:
Strong candidates are asked to further demonstrate the following:
Proven ability to maintain complex synthesis and characterization equipment, in particular high vacuum instruments using hazardous production materials.
In-depth knowledge of one or several characterization methods used to determine the structure, composition, and optoelectronic properties of inorganic materials.
Prior experience or basic understanding of photoelectrochemical and electrochemical measurement methods, performance and stability of the materials.
Active computer skills in programing (e.g. LabView, C/Igor Pro, Python, Matlab, etc.), statistical data analysis, and/or software development.
Strong motivation, ability to work on collaborative projects, ability to balance different types of tasks and deadlines.

Responsibilities

The materials discovery and design team in the materials science center has an opening for an experimental postdoctoral researcher in the area of synthesis and characterization of ternary inorganic nitride materials. The position would involve synthesis, characterization, and processing of thin film nitride materials deposited using physical vapor deposition approaches such as sputtering and MBE. The position would support a collaborative basic-science project aimed to improve nitride photoabsorbers, including investigation of optoelectronic and catalytic properties for solar fuel generation. The job duties would also include setting up and maintaining existing experimental equipment and improving/creating data collection and analysis software. The successful applicant will be invested in working in a diverse team of scientists on materials discovery and design, as well as materials applications, to probe and understand the properties of newly developed materials as well as their use as photoabsorbers.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Science & Healthcare

Industry

1001-5000

Employees

1977

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a Department of Energy national lab, is #TransformingEnergy as the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL's Mission: NREL develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation's energy and environmental goals. NREL's Strategy: NREL has forged a focused strategic direction to increase its impact on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) and our nation's energy goals by accelerating the research path from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions.