Development Engineer Intern (Spring 2026)
About The Position
Leading the world’s sustainable energy future, First Solar interns work around the globe/country in research and development, marketing, project development, information technology, engineering, energy services and much more. When you work at First Solar, you will be challenged every day and provided real world experience. You will be given the opportunity to find new solutions and develop new skills to further advance your skillset. At First Solar we strive to foster a culture that encourages innovation through collaboration, urging colleagues to take smart risks, learning from failures and course correcting, and owning personal accountability for contributing to our mission. As an internship company, we allow flexibility to enroll in classes while working as an intern, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the essential functions of the position. Intern will work on physical vapor deposition tools involving sputtering of thin film layers for solar cell applications. Sputtered buffer development to improve device stability for back and front contact. Deposit and engage in metrology of thin films. The intern will learn and perform solar cell device fabrication and integration processes, characterizing prototype solar cells and modules to support sputtering process advancements and study of reliability. Strong communication, collaboration, and multitasking skills are essential, as the role operates in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Support the electrical and material characterization of thin films and photovoltaic devices Upon the completion of this internship, the intern is required to present their accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team.
Requirements
- Must be currently pursuing an education in a STEM related field, Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Renewable Energy Sciences preferred.
- Safety first mindset
- Good knowledge of physics and chemistry concepts
- Good communication and teamwork
- Strong computer skills
- Ability to analyze data
- Ability to present it in an effective manner to team leaders
- Ability to collaborate with other team members and be open to adapt to new challenges.
- Demonstrated excellence at problem solving and ability to work independently.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and multitasking skills
Nice To Haves
- Prior experience in a manufacturing facility or R&D lab setting is desired but not mandatory.
- Familiarity with high vacuum deposition tools and/or sputtering deposition processes is highly valued.
- Thin film characterization familiarity (e.g. ellipsometry, Hall, XRD, UV-Vis, AFM, SEM, SIMS, XRR)
- Knowledge of semiconductor device physics
- Electrical characterization techniques for solar cells (e.g., I-V, EQE, EL, PL)
- Scripting experience
- Experience with data analysis software such as JMP.
- Hands-on experience with ALD equipment preferred but not mandatory
- Hands-on experience with wet chemistry processing preferred but not mandatory
- Hands-on experience in photovoltaic device fabrication/testing preferred but not mandatory
Responsibilities
- Learn the operation of process equipment, new processes and characterization tools, and gain expertise in operation of sputter tools.
- Collect data from experiments
- Analyze data
- Present data in an effective manner to team leaders
- Collaborate with other team members
- Adapt to new challenges
- Perform solar cell device fabrication and integration processes
- Characterize prototype solar cells and modules to support sputtering process advancements and study of reliability
- Support the electrical and material characterization of thin films and photovoltaic devices
- Present accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
