Seek 1-2 Postdoctoral Researchers in Synthetic Organometallic Chemistry

Seek 1-2 Postdoctoral Researchers in Synthetic Organometallic Chemistry

      Our research group at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering within SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, NY has 1-2 post-doctoral positions available to work on our research In the development of Molecular Organometallic Resists for EUV (MORE).  Positions are available for one year, with a possibility of renewal for a second year.

      Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV or EUVL) is an extremely high resolution technology that uses 13.5-nm light to pattern light-sensitive films known as photoresists.  These photoresists are then used to pattern the smallest (7-20 nm) features during the manufacture of integrated circuits.  The microelectronics industry is expected to begin high-volume manufacturing using this technology by the year 2020.   

      One of the newest and most exciting areas of EUV photoresist research concerns the invention and development of photoresists containing metals that are strongly absorbed by EUV light.  Representative elements are: tin, antimony, tellurium, and bismuth.  Our research in this area, called Molecular Organometallic Resists for EUV (MORE), started in 2012 and has yielded twenty-four publications to date.  Representative papers can be found below.^1-8

      Successful candidates for this position will design and synthesize inorganic or organometallic complexes that:

• Have high metal content.
• Are thermally-stable in air and vacuum.
• Are soluble in water or organic solvents.
• Can be spin-coated to produce high-quality, air-stable and vacuum-stable films.
• Exhibit a dramatic change in solubility upon exposure to EUV (13.5 nm) light.

      Successful candidates will characterize newly-synthesized compounds using NMR, IR and GPC as well as test for the properties mentioned above.  Additionally, post-doctoral researchers will take three trips a year to the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland to use and operate the EUV interference lithography beam line to characterize newly-synthesized materials for their performance as high-resolution photoresists.

      Qualifications.  Applicants should have a Ph.D. with publications demonstrating expertise in synthetic organometallic chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, synthetic inorganic chemistry or synthetic polymer chemistry.  Other appropriate areas of expertise include physical chemistry, chemical engineering and material science as long as previous research includes significant experience in synthetic chemistry.  Expertise in photoresists, photochemistry, work at synchrotrons or computer modelling would be an added bonus.

      SUNY Polytechnic Institute is a small technical university with two campuses: one in Utica, NY the other in Albany NY.  These post-doctoral positions will be located on the Albany Campus, right across the street from the University at Albany.  This faculty and research groups on this campus focus on research in the areas of nanoscience, nanoengineering and biological sciences and is also home to some of the most sophisticated industrial research in the world conducted by representatives of the microelectronics industry.   

      Albany, NY is the capital of the state of New York and is a small city with lots to see and do.  Downtown Albany is located on the banks of the Hudson River, and is close to many outdoor activities including the largest state park in the nation, The Adirondacks State Park.  New York city is only located 2.5 hours south of Albany available by car or train.

      Salary:  Commensurate with experience but expected to be in the range of $40,000-60,000 per year.

      Start Date:  Approximately September 1, 2019.

      Hiring Manager:  Professor Robert L. Brainard

      To Apply, please send by Friday, June 14th:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Contact information of three references
• 2-3 representative publications

            To Professor Robert Brainard.  Please put in the subject line, "Post-Doctoral Position".

      References.  Some of these papers are hard to get.  Interested applicants can request PDF copies from RBrainard@SUNYPoly.edu

(1) R. Brainard, M. Neisser, G. Gallatin, A. Narasimhan, “Photoresists for EUV Lithography”; Ed.: V. Bakshi; In:  EUV Lithography. SPIE Press, 2018; Chapter 8 pp 493-591.

(2) B. Cardineau, R. Del Re, M. Marnell, H. Al-Mashat, M. Vockenhuber, Y. Ekinci, C. Sarma, D. Freedman, R. Brainard, “Photolithographic properties of tin-oxo clusters using extreme ultraviolet light (13.5 nm),” Microelectronic Engineering 127, 44-50 (2014).  

(3) M. Wilklow-Marnell, D. Moglia, B. Steimle, B. Cardineau, H. Al-Mashat, P. Nastasi, K. Heard, A. Aslam, R. Kaminski, M. Murphy, R. Del Re, M. Sortland, M. Vockenhuber, Y. Ekinci, R. L. Brainard, D. A. Freedman, "First-row transitional-metal oxalate resists for EUV," J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS 17(4), 043507 (2018), doi: 10.1117/1.JMM.17.4.043507.

(4) M. Murphy, J. Sitterly, S. Grzeskowiak, G. Denbeaux, R. L. Brainard, "Isotopic labeling studies of EUV photoresists containing antimony"; J. Photopolym. Sci. Technol. 31(2) 233 (2018), doi:10.2494/photopolymer.31.233.

(5) S. Rangan, R. A Bartynski, A. Narasimhan, R. L. Brainard, “Electronic structure, excitation properties, and chemical transformations of extreme ultra-violet resist materials”, J. Applied Phys. 122(2), 025305 (2017). 

(6) J. Passarelli, M. Murphy, R. Del Re, M. Sortland, J. Hotalen, L. Dousharm, Y. Ekinci, M. Neisser, D. Freedman, R. Fallica, D. A. Freedman, R. L. Brainard, "Organometallic carboxylate resists for extreme ultraviolet with high sensitivity," J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS 14(4), 043503 (2015).

(7) R. Del Re, J. Passarelli, M. Sortland, B. Cardineau, Y. Ekinci, E. Buitrago, M. Neisser, D. A. Freedman, and R. L. Brainard, ”Low-line edge roughness extreme ultraviolet photoresists of organotin carboxylates”, J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS 14(4), 043506 (2015).

(8) M. Sortland; J. Hotalen; R. Del Re, J. Passarelli, M. Murphy, T. S. Kulmala, Y. Ekinci, M. Neisser, D. A. Freedman, R. L. Brainard, "Platinum and palladium oxalates: positive-tone extreme ultraviolet resists," J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS 14(4), 043511 (2015).