Postdoctoral Associate, Thin Films

The role

This person will execute thin-film deposition and nanofabrication processes to generate experimental data for AI training. They will perform structural and functional characterization and collaborate with AI and materials teams.

What you will do

• Execute thin-film deposition and related nanofabrication processes.
• Prepare substrates and manage process flows.
• Maintain detailed experimental records for AI training.
• Perform structural and functional thin-film characterization.
• Monitor in-situ metrology during deposition.
• Collaborate with AI and materials science teams to define deposition parameters.
• Interpret film characterization results in context of AI predictions.
• Troubleshoot process issues and iterate on recipes.
• Document failures and fixes to preserve institutional knowledge.

Required qualifications

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a PhD (or advanced graduate degree) in materials science, physics, chemistry, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience operating thin-film deposition equipment - sputtering, evaporation, PLD, ALD, CVD, MBE, or related techniques.
• Familiarity with target conditioning, chamber qualification, substrate preparation, and recipe troubleshooting.
• Basic thin-film characterization experience including XRD, ellipsometry, and SEM.
• Strong documentation habits and attention to detail.
• Ability to ramp up quickly on new equipment and experimental workflows.
• Comfort operating independently in shared research facilities.

Nice to have

• Experience working in university nanofabrication facilities or shared cleanroom environments.
• Exposure to functional materials in thin-film form: superconductors, magnetics, ferroelectrics, thermoelectrics, or multi-layer device stacks.
• Familiarity with LIMS or other lab information systems.
• Experience with wafer-level metrology: film thickness mapping, stress/warpage measurement, or 4-point probe resistivity mapping at wafer scale.
• Interest in working at the intersection of experimental science and AI-driven discovery.

Before you apply

• Visa sponsorship is offered.

About the company

Periodic Labs is an AI and physical sciences company building models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond.