Sr Software Development Engineer

Job Description

Sr Software Development Engineer – Instrumentation and Controls at Axcelis Technologies
, located in Boston, MA.

Axcelis Technologies develops innovative capital equipment for the semiconductor industry, focusing on the Ion Implantation step. Our Ion Implanter software covers everything from low‑level device control of robotics and other physical components to middleware, infrastructure, data management, user interfaces, and integration with customer host systems via SEMI standards. This role involves creating instrumentation and machine‑control software for Axcelis implanters in areas such as Facilities monitoring and interlocking, Gas Controls, Vacuum Control, and Ion Beam Generation and tuning.

• Develop production‑quality real‑time machine‑control software applications.
• Develop software solutions in C programming language.
• Follow defined process for the software development cycle, including project scoping, requirements generation, design, review, implementation, and unit/integration testing.
• Interface with internal and external customers for requirement generation.
• Collaborate with Product Teams, mechanical, electrical, system, and other software engineers for requirements.
• Work closely with Product Team including software & hardware engineers, process engineers, scientists, and marketing to develop requirements and design definitions for software features.
• Provide software support for internal R&D prototype development and testing.
• Investigate and resolve field‑reported issues on released products in partnership with Product Support.
• Collaborate with Software Quality Group to test on both implanter hardware and product simulators.
• Develop major and minor enhancements as well as bug fixes for new product development.
• Work closely with other software engineers on design collaboration to meet requirements of new features while ensuring the maintainability of the software code.
• Develop applications primarily in C/C++.
• Work both individually and as a member of cross‑functional teams.

• Experience developing controls for complex electro‑mechanical hardware components with distributed I/O systems, multi‑tiered/multi‑platform control architecture, and a strong understanding of the hardware and physical systems being controlled.
• Strong C/C++ programming skills.
• Experience developing real‑time multitasked control using a Real Time Operating System (RTOS) such as Windriver VxWorks.
• Experience in real‑time machine control and instrumentation device interfaces (sensors, actuators, motors, encoders, I/O systems).
• Solid experience with high‑speed real‑time data acquisition, manipulation, and transfer.
• Solid mathematical skills and basic understanding of control theory as applied to motion and other physical systems.
• Practical experience implementing single and multivariate closed‑loop control for various types of physical systems.
• Experience with implementation and application of signal processing methods such as peak detection, noise filtering, and linear/non‑linear control loop compensation for response optimization.
• Experience with embedded systems development required.
• Understanding of implications of HW/SW partitioning as related to system performance and reliability.
• A team‑player attitude and strong written and verbal communication skills are a must.
• Ability to work in a Clean Room environment.
• Operating Systems:
  VxWorks, MS Windows XP/7.
• Software languages: C/C++; use of Python and MATLAB a plus.
• IDEs:
  Wind River Workbench, MS Visual Studio.
• Software configuration management tools:
  Rational Team Concert.
• Code analysis:
  Coverity.

• Minimum BS in Computer Science or related Engineering degree with experience in software development for electro‑mechanical systems. MS or PhD in real‑time system development desirable.

• Minimum 8–10 years of experience developing, documenting, and testing software for semiconductor manufacturing equipment or similar complex electro‑mechanical equipment.

• Systems experience in ion beam generation and control.
• Systems experience in plasma physics.
• Vacuum system hardware and control; pumps, gauges, valves.
• RF and…