Principal Process Engineer — Advanced Semiconductor Device Development

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For over three decades, breakthrough advances in computing and intelligent systems have been driven by innovation at the intersection of physics, materials, manufacturing, and engineering. The next generation of high-performance technologies will require entirely new approaches to semiconductor processing, integration, and scalable device fabrication.

We are looking for a Senior Process Engineer to help develop advanced semiconductor device technologies from early research through process integration and pilot manufacturing. This role combines hands-on cleanroom work, process development, external partner coordination, and deep technical problem solving across complex wafer fabrication flows.

You will work closely with multidisciplinary R&D teams to enable next-generation device platforms through advanced process engineering and integration.

What you’ll be doing:

• Develop and optimize semiconductor wafer fabrication processes across multiple process modules.
• Drive process integration from incoming wafer through fully processed devices.
• Work hands-on in the cleanroom across lithography, dry etch, wet etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and wafer handling processes.
• Develop and qualify advanced substrate preparation, thinning, bonding, and backside processing flows.
• Define process characterization strategies including CD control, overlay budgets, metrology, and defect inspection.
• Partner with external vendors and manufacturing partners to support complex multi-site wafer flows.
• Drive DOE learning cycles, root-cause investigations, yield analysis, and process optimization.
• Collaborate with device, characterization, packaging, and reliability teams to correlate process behavior with device performance.
• Build scalable process documentation, travelers, specifications, and process-control methodologies.
• Support transfer of development processes into pilot manufacturing environments.

What we need to see:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of semiconductor process development experience.
• Strong hands-on cleanroom experience across multiple semiconductor processing modules.
• Experience with compound semiconductor or advanced device processing preferred.
• Understanding of lithography, etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and process integration.
• Experience working with process characterization, SPC, DOE, and failure analysis methodologies.
• Strong experimental problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Experience developing advanced or non-standard semiconductor process flows.
• Experience with wafer bonding, substrate removal, or heterogeneous integration.
• Strong process integration mindset with broad cross-module understanding.
• Experience building scalable process infrastructure in R&D environments.
• Familiarity with advanced metrology and defect characterization techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly iterate and solve complex process problems.

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