Senior Research And Development Engineer

Principal R&D Engineer (Through end of October 2027 // Tempe, AZ):

Top 3 Skills:

1. PVD Metal Deposition / Thin Film Deposition
2. Photolithography
3. Design of Experiments / Process Development

Education Required: minimum BS in Engineering discipline

Years’ Experience Required: 7 minimum with BS, 5 minimum with MS

Description:

The Principal Process Engineer will be responsible for developing and transferring highly stable, cost-effective, and scalable wafer-based processes into manufacturing. They will develop and support wafer fabrication processes including patterned polymer/organic layer deposition, metal deposition and output monitoring, perform necessary experiments to establish robust processes and gain a thorough understanding of capabilities and interactions with upstream and downstream processes. The engineer will define equipment needs, including tooling and operator interactions, establish design rules, metrologies and process controls and establish a high-volume production strategy. They will provide inputs to design teams and advance the state of the art in wafer processing.

Duties:

• Leads the innovation, development and/or optimization of new manufacturing concepts, processes, and procedures for transfer to manufacturing operations.
• Applies Design for Reliability Manufacturing (DRM) and data driven methods through process development
• This can include scouting and feasibility work, material selection, process and equipment selection, tooling / fixture and equipment installation and assessment of inputs, outputs, and alignment to requirements.
• Develops manufacturing processes that are applicable to statistical process control and may develop those techniques including the measurement systems.
• Performs equipment qualifications (IQ), process validations (Process characterization, OQ and PQ), and gage R&R studies (TMV)
• Applies statistical methods and science-based decisions to design experiments and implement improvements
• Perform necessary experiments to establish robust processes. Monitor, root cause, and resolve process yield issues.
• Provides technical and sustaining engineering support in a manufacturing area. Troubleshoots and resolves equipment/process production issues
• Integrates equipment and material capabilities to meet process module target specifications and technology target specifications.
• Reviews product development requirements for compatibility with processing methods to determine costs and schedules.
• Interacts with product design and development personnel to ensure that processes and designs are compatible.
• Generates and maintains documentation per quality system regulations.
• Ensures processes and procedures follow regulations.

Must Haves:

• University Degree and minimum 7 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with wafer fabrication processes including equipment / process development or manufacturing operations

Nice to Haves:

• Exposure to microfabrication/MEMS processes including photolithography, thin-film deposition, and patterning techniques
• Experience in developing a process from concept to transfer in manufacturing and/or experience working in a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Have the experience or aptitude to program, run and troubleshoot automated equipment, machine vision and automated metrology tools
• Experience with DRM / DFSS, Lean Sigma, or Green/Black Belt Lean Sigma certification
• Knowledge of DOE, statistical analysis methods, and data analysis tools (Minitab, JMP, etc.)
• Advanced degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, or similar discipline