Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Researcher — Senior Engineer
About The Position
This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design. You will lead the development of ALD processes for multiple critical layers in the perovskite solar cell stack: ultra-thin barrier layers for moisture and oxygen protection, conformal charge transport layers, and interface passivation coatings. You will own precursor chemistry selection, process recipe development, conformality optimization, and integration with adjacent process steps.
Requirements
- B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related field
- 8+ years of experience in ALD or CVD process development for semiconductor, photovoltaic, or barrier applications
- Expert knowledge of ALD reaction mechanisms, surface chemistry, and growth kinetics for metal oxides
- Demonstrated experience with thermal, plasma-enhanced ALD, or CVD processes
- Hands-on experience with ALD or CVD reactor operation, maintenance, and precursor delivery systems
- Proficiency with thin film characterization (ellipsometry, XRD, XRR, SEM, TEM, XPS, WVTR testing)
- Track record of integrating ALD films into multi-layer device structures
Nice To Haves
- Direct experience depositing ALD films on perovskite or organic semiconductor surfaces, including SnO2 and Al2O3
- Experience with low-temperature ALD processes (<100°C) compatible with organic/hybrid materials
- Knowledge of spatial ALD or roll-to-roll ALD for high-throughput applications
- Experience with ALD-based thin-film encapsulation for OLED or flexible electronics
- Familiarity with hybrid organic-inorganic ALD (MLD/ALD) for flexible barrier films
- Understanding of how ALD processing conditions affect perovskite stability and device performance
Responsibilities
- Develop and optimize ALD processes for barrier layers, charge transport layers, and passivation interlayers
- Select and qualify ALD precursor chemistries compatible with perovskite device stacks
- Optimize ALD process parameters (pulse times, purge sequences, substrate temperature, plasma vs. thermal) for film quality, conformality, and throughput
- Characterize thin film properties: thickness, density, composition, barrier performance (WVTR), electrical properties, and optical properties
- Design and execute experiments to understand nucleation on perovskite and organic surfaces
- Integrate layers into full device stacks without damaging temperature-sensitive perovskite layers
- Mentor and direct the work of associate researchers
- Collaborate with the packaging engineer on thin-film encapsulation strategies
- Develop process documentation, equipment maintenance schedules, and precursor management protocols
Benefits
- Medical
- dental
- vision
- basic and supplemental life insurance
- paid parental leave
- short and long-term disability
- 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
- Education Support Program
- Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
- Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours
- up to 14 company-paid holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
