Process Engineer - Photolithography

Avicena is a privately held company developing microLED based ultra-low power high bandwidth interconnects for chip-to-chip communications. This technology will revolutionize High-Performance (HPC) and Cloud computing, as well as other industries where low power interconnects are critical like camera sensors, autonomous vehicles, and aerospace. Avicena is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with a development center in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded in 2019 by leading technologists from the optical networking industry with a track record of delivering breakthrough products. (www.avicena.tech)

About the role:

• Responsible for developing, optimizing, and maintaining the photolithography process used in semiconductor manufacturing
• Design of Experiments for process performance, yield, and efficiency.
• Mask layout for various lithography tools such as contact aligners, steppers, or direct-write laser.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate new processes.
• Characterize processes and components using semiconductor metrology tools, profilometers, interferometers, SEM, electrical testers and optical testers.
• Work with outside laboratories to characterize processes and devices, conduct failure analyses and model optoelectronic devices
• Regularly interface with other engineers in Process Engineering and Equipment Engineering.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with photolithography equipment and processes.
• Indirectly manage engineering technicians and operators.

Requirements:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of related industrial experience and managing semiconductor or MEMS foundries
• Hands-on experience with thick and thin positive photoresists, lift-off photoresists, negative photoresists, and the interaction of sidewall profiling with etch profiles.
• Hands-on experience with steppers, contact aligners, maskless exposure, spin coaters, HMDS prime, and related photolithography equipment.
• Proficiency with layout design software tools (e.g., Tanner L-Edit)
• Strong knowledge of photolithography and its interaction with wet and dry etch chemistries.
• Strong familiarity with a clean room environment and other semiconductor processing equipment, including wet etch, plasma etch, plasma ashing, ICP, CVD, PVD, ALD.
• Proficient in Design of Experiments and Statistical Process Control methodologies.
• Extremely organized, data-driven, and detail-oriented, with a strong desire to maintain thorough documentation and a baseline.
• Ability to identify, troubleshoot, and communicate significantly complex engineering problems through documentation and regular presentations to senior and executive staff members
• Familiarity with health and safety regulations in a cleanroom environment

Preferred Requirements:

• MS or PhD in Engineering
• 10+ years of related industrial experience
• Strong knowledge of semiconductor device physics.
• Proficient with JMP software.
• Proficient with database queries using SQL