Researcher III with Security Clearance

Your Impact: Become a part of a cutting-edge National DOD Research Laboratory and make a difference. As the corporate research laboratory of the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, NRL conducts a broad program of scientific research and advanced technology development. The broad-based scientific research that NRL provides serves as the foundation to develop solutions and deliver new technologies. NRL's scientists and engineers conduct basic and applied research across a wide spectrum of scientific disciplines for both immediate and long-range national defense needs. NRL's research is primarily sponsored by government agencies including the Office of Naval Research, Naval Systems Commands and Warfare Centers, Air Force, Army, DARPA, Department of Energy, and NASA. The Electronics Science and Technology Division of NRL (ESTD) conducts programs of basic science and applied research and development. A technically diverse staff of experimental, theoretical, and computational physicists, surface and materials scientists, chemists, and electrical, electronic, chemical and mechanical engineers reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the Division's research. Responsibilities: Research will be performed at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in the High Power Devices Section of the Power and Advanced Materials Branch of the Electronics Science and Technology Division. The work will include the process development and characterization of power devices using the ultrawide bandgap material, β-Ga2O3 and its related materials, for applications of interest to the US Navy. Transistors and diodes will be processed in the Nanoscience Institute (NSI) cleanroom at NRL using various nanofabrication equipment, including electron beam evaporation, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), reaction ion etching (RIE) plasma, and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) tools. Material characterization will be performed on the epilayer films and substrates used for these devices using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) - SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction. Electrical characterization of the devices will include Hall measurements, current-voltage (J-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V), and temperature dependent measurements. Device design will require the use of Silvaco TCAD simulations and MATLAB. This research aims at pushing the limit of β-Ga2O3 and β-(AlxGa1-x)2O3 devices to reach >20 kV, which is needed for Navy applications. One of the research efforts will include working with the growth engineers within the Wide and Ultrawide Bandgap Materials Section at NRL to characterize and optimize the device epilayers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). By developing selective area growth and selective area etching using MOCVD, high-quality β-Ga2O3 devices could be processed without the need for aggressive plasma etching, which introduces damage to the active regions of the semiconductor. Another method for extending the voltage range of these materials will be continuing to investigate p-type materials for compatibility with β-Ga2O3 to form P-N junctions, as p-type doping is not currently feasible with β-Ga2O3. Previous work included sputtering NiO for PN diodes, and future work will require extensive field management techniques. Thermal management of these ultrawide bandgap semiconductors will be another key research focus. Previous work included incorporation of a nanocrystalline diamond heat spreading layer on β-Ga2O3 lateral transistors. The device fabrication process will be improved to achieve excellent heat extraction from the active region of the device without degrading the electrical performance. In addition to top-side heat management, work will continue on developing a process for β-Ga2O3 wafer splitting using Helium ion implantation and annealing techniques. Wafer splitting will enable composite wafer development for improved heat extraction with a high thermally conductive substrate (e.g. SiC and Diamond). These composite wafers will then be utilized in device processing. Requirements: Minimum of three years of directly related experience involving optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures with micron spatial resolution. Minimum of three years of directly related experience involving high resolution laser spectroscopy. Minimum of three years of directly related experience involving time-resolved pulsed techniques. Minimum of three years of directly related experience involving time-correlated photon counting. Minimum of three years of directly related experience involving cryogenics, use of fiber optics, and Labview programming. Candidate must have good written and oral communications skills as evidenced by publications and presentations at conferences, such experience within the last three years. Clearance Required: Secret, but can start while in processing Minimum Education: PhD in Engineering Minimum Years of Experience: 3 Pay Transparency Verbiage Amentum's health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Eligible employees and their dependents may elect medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are able to enroll in our company's 401k plan, and, if eligible, a deferred compensation plan and Executive Deferral Plan. Employees will also receive 17 days of vacation per year, seven paid holidays, plus floating holidays and caregiver leave. Hired applicants will be able to purchase company stock and have the opportunity to receive a performance discretionary bonus. The base salary range for this position is $110K to $110K. This range reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.