Process Engineer

PHOTRONICS INC•Boise, ID

10d•Onsite

About The Position

For more than 50 years, Photronics has been a global leader in photomask technology — enabling the innovation behind smartphones, computers, automotive electronics, and countless other devices used every day. Our success is driven by advanced technology, strong customer partnerships, and most importantly, our people. Join Photronics and be part of a collaborative, high-tech manufacturing environment where learning, engineering excellence, and continuous improvement are core to everything we do. As the Process Engineer, Cleans, you’ll be responsible for developing, optimizing, and sustaining photomask etch, clean and resist strip processes that support high-yield, high-quality mask manufacturing. This role drives process stability, defect reduction, and equipment performance across cleanroom operations, partnering closely with manufacturing, equipment engineering, quality, and adjacent process teams. The engineer uses structured problem solving, statistical analysis, and hands-on process ownership to improve yield, reliability, cycle time, and overall manufacturing performance.

Requirements

Hands-on experience with lithography process development and troubleshooting in a cleanroom or manufacturing environment.
Hands-on experience with cleans, dry and/or wet etch process, resist strip, lithography, or related semiconductor process modules.
Strong documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to work effectively in a cleanroom and support production-driven schedules.
Familiarity with Cleanroom operations.
Familiarity with pellicle, inspection/repair, metrology, and other adjacent mask shop modules.
3+ years of hands-on experience in semiconductor manufacturing, photolithography, photomask engineering.
3+ years of experience in semiconductor, photomask, or advanced microfabrication manufacturing, with direct experience in photolithography or patterning processes.
Experience with tool qualification, process change control, and MES/fab automation systems.
Experience supporting defect reduction and yield improvement in high-mix or high-volume manufacturing.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
A combination of relevant education and experience related to etch will be considered.

Responsibilities

Own and optimize photomask cleans and resist strip processes in a cleanroom manufacturing environment.
Monitor process performance, analyze SPC trends, and implement corrective actions to maintain process stability.
Perform process characterization, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis to improve yield, defectivity, and reliability.
Support qualification of new tools, materials, recipes, and process changes.
Develop and maintain process documentation, SOPs, control plans, and work instructions.
Partner with equipment engineers to improve tool uptime, process capability, PM strategy, and excursion response.
Collaborate with integration, inspection, metrology, pellicle, and manufacturing teams on cross-functional yield and quality issues.
Support technology transfers, scale-up activity, and new product/process introductions.
Ensure compliance with EHS, chemical handling, and cleanroom protocols.
Drive root cause analysis and resolution of etch-related issues, reducing defects, variability, and production interruptions.
Develop, optimize, and qualify etch processes using data-driven methodologies (DOE, SPC), ensuring stability and repeatability in production.
Train and support technicians and junior engineers as needed.