Dry Etch module development engineer

Job Description

Note:

This role is only open to external candidates with industry dry etch experience from leading equipment suppliers or advanced foundries. You will operate in a high impact space, partnering closely with cross‑functional teams (Process Integration, Manufacturing, Equipment Engineering, Yield/Defect Engineering, and suppliers) to solve complex technical challenges and establish long‑term systems that sustain performance. This role requires regular onsite presence to fulfill essential job responsibilities.

• Drive technology development for both high‑volume manufacturing and future technology, providing process integration and equipment solutions and performing feasibility studies to meet desired device specifications.
• Own and drive the development of next‑generation patterning processes, including process architecture, optimization strategies, and qualification methodologies.
• Conduct path‑finding activities in support of process and hardware development on existing and first‑of‑kind equipment, enabling manufacturing of innovative device architectures and developing roadmaps for technologies enabling future roadmap.
• Provide technical leadership for cross‑functional problem solving to resolve complex process and defect issues; drive structured root cause, containment, and permanent corrective actions.
• Design and execute comprehensive characterization plans; plan and conduct experiments (DOE, response surface, robustness studies) across the development cycle.
• Establish and mature control systems to optimize and sustain production performance (SPC, control plans, alarms, response plans, recipe governance, sustaining systems).
• Develop strategies and infrastructure to resolve difficult problems and implement systems to manage these problems in the future (standard work, monitoring, dashboards/analytics, knowledge capture).
• Drive improvements in yield, reliability, cost, productivity, and process capability, ensuring scalable transfer to manufacturing and ongoing sustainment.
• Influence technical direction, mentor engineers (as appropriate for grade), and communicate status/risk clearly to stakeholders.
• Recommend and implement modifications for operating equipment to improve production efficiency, manufacturing techniques, and optimize production output for existing products.
• Partner with key equipment and materials suppliers to develop and implement enabling elements of the technology. Perform process technology feasibility studies through theoretical simulations and/or practical engineering methods.

Minimum Qualifications –

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a semiconductor‑related STEM field with 4+ years of industry experience in dry etch at a leading foundry or equipment supplier with relevant experience.
• Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a semiconductor‑related STEM field with 6+ years of industry experience in dry etch at a leading foundry or equipment supplier with relevant experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a semiconductor‑related STEM field with 8+ years of industry experience in dry etch at a leading foundry or equipment supplier with relevant experience.
• Hands‑on experience in dry etch semiconductor manufacturing, including ownership of process development and optimization.
• Strong command of plasma etch fundamentals, including plasma generation, plasma‑surface interactions, selectivity, profile control, and defect mechanisms.
• Demonstrated record of delivering dry etch process solutions that improved yield, reliability, performance, or manufacturability for advanced technology nodes at foundries or suppliers.
• Expertise in statistical analysis and DOE methodologies, using tools such as JMP, Python, or MATLAB to drive data‑based decisions.

Preferred Qualifications –

• 5+ years of direct experience developing and deploying dry etch processes for advanced logic or foundry technologies.
• Experience with advanced dry etch technologies such as ICP / CCP plasma etch, high aspect ratio etch…