Process Engineer, Gold-To-Gold Interconnect & Flip Chip Assembly (Starlink/Akoustis)

SpaceX • Bastrop, TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

SpaceX’s wholly owned subsidiary Akoustis provides RF filters using patented XBAW technology, supporting Starlink and SpaceX’s mission. The Process Engineer will develop, optimize, qualify, and implement advanced IC assembly processes, with a focus on Gold-to-Gold Interconnect (GGI) and thermosonic flip-chip bonding. The role takes processes from early prototype through production ramp and involves hands-on work with equipment and collaboration with package engineering, design, manufacturing, reliability, materials, and supply-chain partners.

The position is onsite in Bastrop, Texas, and includes up to 20% domestic and international travel for supplier and manufacturing support. The engineer must be willing to work extended hours or weekends for key milestones and be able to work in a semiconductor manufacturing environment while following safety and cleanroom requirements. Light physical tasks include lifting up to 25 pounds and handling wafers, substrates, packages, tooling, and assembly samples.

Applicants must meet the stated U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations. SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, or another engineering discipline.
• At least 2 years of hands-on semiconductor assembly, IC packaging, or electronics manufacturing experience; internship or extracurricular experience is applicable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and management.
• Willingness to work extended hours or weekends to support key milestones.
• Ability to work in a semiconductor manufacturing environment, follow safety and cleanroom requirements, and perform light physical tasks, including lifting up to 25 pounds and handling wafers, substrates, packages, tooling, and assembly samples.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

• At least 3 years of hands-on IC assembly or advanced packaging experience, including direct GGI or similar gold-based interconnect work.
• Hands-on thermosonic flip-chip bonding experience, including force, temperature, ultrasonic power, time, alignment, and tooling, and experience with gold stud bumping, gold bumps, or gold-to-gold interfaces.
• Experience with vacuum mold lamination or advanced encapsulation using mold sheets, thermally conductive or epoxy molding compounds, or underfills.
• Understanding of plasma/surface preparation, organic/ceramic/leadframe/wafer-level substrates, warpage, CTE mismatch, thermal-mechanical stress, adhesion, and delamination.
• Experience with DOE, SPC, Cp/Cpk, root-cause analysis, FMEA, Six Sigma, and control plans.
• Experience with inspection and metrology such as X-ray, SAM, optical microscopy, profilometry, and cross-section, and with interconnect characterization such as contact resistance, shear/pull, and bond integrity.
• Experience with package reliability testing and JEDEC or IPC standards, and supporting OSATs or contract manufacturers through development, qualification, and ramp.
• CAD experience (AutoCAD) and familiarity with simulation tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, or similar.
• Data analysis experience with JMP, Minitab, MATLAB, or Python.
• Experience qualifying new assembly equipment and tooling and troubleshooting directly on the manufacturing floor.

Responsibilities

• Develop and qualify GGI and thermosonic flip-chip/die-attach processes, including bond force, temperature, ultrasonic energy, bond time, alignment, parallelism, and tool selection; establish process windows using DOE to control bond integrity, contact resistance, and mechanical strength.
• Develop gold stud bump, gold bump, and gold-to-gold interconnect processes and evaluate bond quality and process capability.
• Develop and optimize vacuum mold lamination and related encapsulation processes, including material selection, vacuum, temperature, pressure, time, and cure; troubleshoot voiding, delamination, die shift, warpage, incomplete fill, and bleed.
• Support related assembly steps as needed, including wafer/die handling, placement, plasma/surface cleaning, underfill, reflow, singulation, laser marking, and inspection.
• Select and characterize assembly materials such as adhesives, mold compounds, substrates, and interconnect materials for their impact on bond strength, adhesion, thermal performance, warpage, and reliability.
• Specify, evaluate, install, and qualify assembly equipment with suppliers, including flip-chip bonders, thermosonic bonders, vacuum laminators, plasma tools, and inspection tools.
• Run DOEs, capability studies, and SPC on critical parameters; write process specifications, work instructions, control plans, FMEAs, and qualification reports.
• Drive NPI from prototype through qualification and production release; perform root-cause analysis and support failure analysis using X-ray, SAM, optical inspection, cross-section, and SEM.
• Correlate process settings with electrical, mechanical, and reliability results; apply DFM and own schedules, risks, and production readiness for assigned technologies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level