Postdoctoral Scholar - Materials Science and Engineering/Maria Group

The Pennsylvania State University
remote work
United States, Pennsylvania, University Park
201 Old Main (Show on map)
Dec 02, 2025
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants. This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the termlengthdiscussed willbebasedonuniversityneed,performance,and/oravailabilityoffunding. POSITION SPECIFICS This posting is for a position within the research group of Dr. Jon-Paul maria in the Penn State Materials Science and Engineering Department. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is looking for a postdoctoral scholar. The final candidate will have demonstrated capabilities, determined through an interview process and a review of past research experience, that position them to complete the above-mentioned duties and responsibilities. The candidate will also have excellent communication skills (written and spoken) and excellent abilities to work in and organize a collaborative and interdisciplinary team. The final candidate must have a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or other comparable majors. They should have experience in thin film growth, thin film characterization, and electrical property measurements. This research project will design, fabricate, and characterize ferroelectric and piezoelectric modified wurtzite nitride thin films and device stacks with exquisite structural and chemical fidelity. The team will pursue stand-alone thin films as well as layered stacks, as well as nanofabricated resonator structures. We seek a postdoctoral researcher who will pursue these project goals by conducting the following activities: (1) Synthesize thin film nitride piezoelectric and ferroelectric films using sputter deposition instrumentation. (2) Perform physical characterization on thin films and stacked layers to quantify physical structure, crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology, thickness, and stress states. (3) Lead nanofabrication efforts to generate nanofabricated MEMS resonators. (4) Perform temperature, voltage, and frequency dependent properties of nitride films and devices and their component layers. (5) Document, interpret, and organize all data from depositions, characterizations, and property measurements. (6) Organize all data and learning into scientific manuscripts, quarterly reports, and presentations. (7) Coordinate the collective effort of a four research group team at Penn State. BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. BENEFITS Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). 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