Solar Fab Senior Process Engineer

Senior Process Engineer

Leads intermediate to complex projects, and provides technical guidance, design, innovation, and expertise to enhance the institution's engineering solutions and infrastructure.

Salary Range: $85,000 - $120,000 per year; DOE

With over 24 MW of installed on-site solar generation capacity, Arizona State University's commitment to solar is compelling. The Solar Power Lab (SPL) was established in 2009, and, from the beginning, was designed with industrial compatibility in mind. Technology thrusts are selected to reinforce industrial relevance both now and in the future. Considering solely silicon technology (III-V solar cells are also studied), SPL has all the necessary processing equipment for raw silicon to serve as the input, and completed, characterized, and tested solar cells generated as the output.

For reliability testing and educational purposes, SPL also fabricates modules, usually single-cell or 2x2 format. SPL is housed in the Macro Technology Works building in the ASU Research Park and consists of 6,370 square feet of class 100/1000 cleanroom space along with 2,097 square feet of non-cleanroom H6 space and 606 square feet of dry lab. Incorporated in the lab are over 25 pieces of major equipment (e.g., wet processing, furnaces, RTA, PECVD, sputtering tools, evaporators, screen printing, ALD, and MOCVD) and the concomitant characterization tools (I-V testers, PL, EL, QE, lifetime testers, LIT, etc.).

With the culmination of the successful, ten-year NSF- and DOE-sponsored QESST (Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies) Engineering Research Center (ERC), SPL transitioned to ASU's Knowledge Enterprise as the Solar Fab (SF) Core. Accordingly, SF is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to join the team.

Essential Duties

• This position will report to the Director of Operations in the Solar Fab facility located at Arizona State University's Macro Technology Works building.
• The primary job responsibilities include process tool maintenance, process development and characterization, training cleanroom users on process tool operation, developing and maintaining training materials, performing tool and process monitoring and reporting the same, writing tool operation procedures, and performing chemical handling. Other duties as assigned.
• The Process Engineer should be skilled in microelectronic device fabrication and equipment maintenance. He/she must be effective in working with Solar Fab team members, affiliated faculty members, and cleanroom users.

Desired Qualifications

• A master's degree in engineering or a related field and ten (10) years of engineering or related experience including responsibility for tool and process requirements OR any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities have been achieved.
• At least five years of work experience in semiconductor and/or solar processing is required. This work experience must be in both R&D and production facilities.
• Work experience must include direct responsibilities in processes that involve thin film deposition (sputtering, evaporation, PECVD), patterning (screen printing, photolithography), etch (wet and dry), and thermal processing (RTA, furnace). ALD and/or MOCVD exposure is a strong bonus.
• A firm knowledge in the use of analytical equipment such as profilometers, ellipsometers, four-point-probes, and SEMs.
• Familiarity with process development and characterization through the usage of Design of Experiments, SPC, and the associated data analysis tools is required.
• Must have good working knowledge of vacuum systems, mechanical, and electro-mechanical systems.
• Disposition to interface with lab customers (students, staff, faculty, and external entities) as appropriate to ensure project goals are realized.
• Mentor and/or train customers on various facets related to solar -- technical nuances, tool operation, characterization, etc.
• Serve as tool owner on multiple pieces of equipment -- responsible for:
  1) learning and understanding all aspects of a tool;
  2) defining a baseline process;
  3) writing the tool SOP;
  4) maintaining the tool, including SPC if applicable; and
  5)…