Thin Film Process Engineer – Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication

Role Overview

Best NanoTech is looking for a seasoned Thin Film Process Engineer to lead the development, optimization, qualification, and maintenance of thin film deposition processes in a cutting-edge semiconductor wafer fabrication environment based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The role involves ensuring that dielectric, conductive, barrier, and semiconductor film depositions meet strict electrical and physical standards while supporting mass semiconductor production.

Key Responsibilities

• Create, fine-tune, and uphold deposition processes for thin films essential to advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
• Define process parameters for depositing various films including dielectric, metal, barrier, and semiconductors.
• Adjust deposition methods to optimize film thickness, uniformity, stress, step coverage, conformality, resistivity, and adhesion characteristics.
• Develop and validate techniques including CVD, PECVD, LPCVD, ALD, PVD, sputtering, and epitaxial growth.
• Assess new precursor chemicals, gases, materials, and consumable resources for their suitability.
• Employ Design of Experiments (DOE) to refine film features and enhance process capabilities.
• Analyze metrology, electrical testing, and yield data to uncover areas for process improvement.
• Reduce contamination sources, defects such as particles, voids, delamination, and improve film uniformity continuously.
• Collaborate with other engineering teams—Etch, CMP, Lithography, Diffusion, and Process Integration—to enhance the overall manufacturing process flow.
• Support equipment installation and qualification efforts for deposition machinery.
• Prepare engineering specifications and documentation including qualification reports and SOPs to maintain process integrity.
• Utilize Statistical Process Control (SPC) and support Advanced Process Control (APC) to ensure process consistency and quality.
• Lead efforts in technology transfer and new product introduction processes.
• Conduct root cause analysis to address process discrepancies and yield challenges.
• Drive increases in throughput, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with semiconductor quality standards, cleanroom protocols, and environmental health and safety regulations.
• Promote Lean Manufacturing and persistent process enhancements.

Responsibilities During Fab Startup

• Aid in the installation and qualification of thin film deposition tools.
• Develop initial deposition recipes to support manufacturing ramp-up.
• Establish qualification approaches and define process specifications and control methods.
• Qualify materials, including precursors and process gases used in deposition.
• Support pilot runs, engineering builds, and technology handoffs.
• Create manufacturing SOPs and related engineering documents.
• Train manufacturing staff on deposition processes.
• Ensure the enhancement of process capabilities before mass production.
• Contribute to preparations for high-volume production readiness.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or related fields.
• From 6 to 15 years’ experience in semiconductor wafer fabrication roles.
• Deep knowledge of thin film deposition technologies and hands-on experience in advanced semiconductor manufacturing environments.
• Proven success in process optimization, transferring technologies, and increasing yield.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication capabilities.

Technical Expertise

• Processes: Semiconductor wafer fabrication, FEOL, CMOS technology, high-volume manufacturing, process development, qualification, NPI, technology transfer.
• Deposition methods: CVD, PECVD, LPCVD, APCVD, ALD, PVD, magnetron and reactive sputtering, thermal and electron beam evaporation, molecular beam epitaxy, selective epitaxy.
• Film materials: Silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, high-k and low-k dielectrics, tungsten, titanium, TiN, tantalum, TaN, copper seed layers, barrier films, metal gate films, hard masks, passivation layers.
• Process materials: Precursors, specialty and carrier gases, plasma chemistries, consumables, wafer cleaning chemicals, chamber conditioning, film stress optimization.
• Equipment: Applied Materials Producer Series and Endura, Lam Research, ASM Epsilon and Eagle, TEL systems, Kokusai furnaces, Novellus, Canon Anelva PVD.
• Process engineering tools: DOE, SPC, Cp/Cpk, root cause analysis, FMEA, film stress and yield improvement, defect reduction.
• Metrology: Ellipsometry, film thickness measurement, XRR, XRD, four-point probe, stress measurement, optical inspection, SEM, TEM, surface profilometry, defect and particle inspection.
• Data analysis: JMP, Python, MATLAB, SQL, Excel, statistical techniques, data visualization.

Collaboration

This role requires close cooperation with multiple teams such as process integration, lithography, etch, CMP, diffusion, ion implant, equipment and yield engineering, manufacturing, metrology, product, failure analysis, quality, automation, and facilities engineering.

Preferred Industry Background

Experience in semiconductor manufacturing segments including logic and memory devices, foundry, analog and mixed-signal ICs, power devices, RF technology, and advanced CMOS processes. Candidates with prior exposure to greenfield fab startups, advanced nodes (28nm or below), or large-scale manufacturing setups are highly desired.