Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

The Photonics & Microelectronics Division (PMD) in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL) of GTRI is searching for an experienced Nanofabrication Engineer willing and able to work on multiple projects within the Division, as the need arises, including design of experiments, hands-on laboratory work, modeling and analysis of experimental data, and presentation of completed work to Sponsors. The Photonics and Microelectronics Division currently performs advanced research and development that involves the development & packaging of new materials and micro-electronic device technologies, spacecraft hardware, photonic integrated circuits, and RF/millimeter-wave devices. The components and sub-systems are used in a variety of systems and applications, primarily for aerospace and national security platforms. The successful candidate will support the GTRI research portfolio in the areas of advanced materials fabrication and characterization, advanced packaging and reliability, thin film deposition, and heterogeneous material integration and testing.

The PMD team is skilled in the synthesis and deposition of advanced materials and semiconductors; materials physics and chemistry; weathering of materials in space; design, simulation, fabrication, packaging and measurement of RF and photonic ICs and subsystems, fiber optics & comms, and building optical & RF subsystems with both discrete components & ICs. PMD is a leader in the Georgia Tech Microelectronics community as well as the Space Technology community. GTRI offers a dynamic, collaborative environment, where research faculty generate new ideas for projects to serve the needs of the warfighter, with opportunities to perform on projects outside their division to broaden their knowledge & experience.

Job Purpose

Nanofabrication research engineer to research and contribute to the design, fabrication, synthesis, characterization, packaging, and testing of nano-fabricated devices and structures for projects such as DNA data storage, quantum sensing and computing, and microelectronics. This may also include delivery of prototype devices. This position involves close collaboration with a highly technical team of research leaders to accomplish task and program objectives, contribute technically to proposal ideation, and conceive and execute internal research efforts refining core fabrication processes and capabilities. Fabrication responsibilities range from process design and supervision to full clean-room implementation, and will utilize a wide range of bulk and micro/nano synthesis/fabrication tools and develop novel techniques to create novel materials, devices, and structures with new properties.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead medium to large sized teams of engineers with various technical abilities in the design, packaging, and fabrication of nanotechnology related materials.
• Derive system/sub-system level requirements to use in the design and testing of nanotechnology related materials.
• Direct small to moderate sized projects and manage schedules with associated project budgets.
• Lead the generation of white papers and proposals.
• Lead project presentations and technical reports.
• Support sponsor and potential sponsor engagements.
• Ability to leverage extensive experience and best practices from industry

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform thin film deposition of advanced engineered materials.
• Growth/deposition of inorganic/organic thin film materials by various a range of techniques
• Analyze and characterize various materials and devices for aerospace and national security applications.
• Work with common electronic packaging equipment such as: lithography, etching, dicing saws, wire bonders, flip-chipping, etc.
• Apply and develop advanced packaging techniques to manage RF, thermal, and reliability challenges with devices and integrated circuits
• Conduct failure analysis of packaged devices and recommend & implement mitigations
• Model and simulate optical & RF devices and structures
• Assist in other activities as directed

Required Minimum Qualifications

• BS degree in materials science & engineering, electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, microelectronics, mechanical engineering, or similar field
• Extensive experience with mechanical, diffusion, cryo and turbo-pumped vacuum systems, chillers, gas cabinets, scrubbers, etc.
• Extensive experience with the techniques/equipment for the deposition/growth of thin film materials, such as DC/RF sputtering, thermal and e-beam evaporation, molecular beam epitaxy, MOCVD, and/or atomic layer deposition equipment.
• Extensive experience with material and device characterization techniques / equipment / metrology (such as optical/electron microscopy, electrical/optical parameters analysis, physical morphology)
• Record of accomplishment in applied research as demonstrated by papers, patents, conference presentations, product development, professional society leadership, etc.
• Strong coursework foundation in materials, chemistry, and physics
• Knowledge of semiconductor fabrication techniques and device physics and chemistry
• Programming skills in common software / simulation tools such as Python, Matlab, etc.
• Strong sense of curiosity in both the technical and non-technical aspects of working in applied research.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance
• M.S. or Ph.D. degree in materials science & engineering, electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, microelectronics, mechanical engineering, or similar field
• Experience fabricating, packaging, characterizing active microelectronic devices such as LEDs, transistors, lasers, photodetectors, photovoltaics, in CMOS, III-V, II-VI, etc.
• Experience fabricating, packaging, and characterizing IR materials such as HgCdTe, GaSb, etc. for sensor / FPA applications
• Experience fabricating, packaging and characterizing GaAs / GaN / GaO / diamond devices for RF and/or optical applications
• Characterization and test of bare die in a probe station, load-pull measurements
• Ability to clearly communicate technical ideas to a non-technical audience

Travel Requirements

<10% travel

Education and Length of Experience

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 9 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Microelectronics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related discipline
• 7 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Microelectronics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related discipline
• 4 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Microelectronics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related discipline

Please refer to our Research Faculty Technical Level Guidelines for minimum requirements at the higher levels.

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.