R&D Process Engineer - Plasma Systems

Keysight Technologies, Inc.•Santa Rosa, CA

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The High Frequency Technology Center (HFTC) is seeking an R&D Process Engineer to develop, maintain and optimize manufacturing processes to fabricate passive interposer substrates for Keysight’s Heterogeneous Integration technology. This position is onsite at Keysight Headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA. Live in beautiful Sonoma County amongst vineyards, redwood forests, rivers, lakes and coastline while working on state-of-the-art advanced packaging technologies. The Process Engineer will own process development and process control to meet quality and production metrics. Responsibilities include a combination of R&D and manufacturing in partnership with Design, Integration, Test, Operations, Maintenance, Product and Failure Analysis teams. The Process Engineer is accountable for yield, cycle time, throughput, and quality of their process. This role involves technical depth in semiconductor processing, strong hands-on aptitude, as well as effective communication and teamwork to meet department-level objectives. Process Development Engineers at HFTC are responsible for process development and sustaining of custom, cutting-edge, micro and nano-fabrication technologies. The focus of this position is process development, manufacturing sustainability, and R&D support for new product introductions, with specialization in wafer fab processes.

Requirements

Knowledge of plasma systems such as Dryetch, PVD/sputtering, CVD/PECVD, or similar vacuum processes.
Familiarity with vacuum systems, RF power delivery, gas‑flow control, and chamber‑hardware configurations
Strong problem‑solving skills for measurement anomalies and tool‑drift issues
Experience with statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE) is required.
M.S. or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or related fields.
5+ years of professional, hands-on experience with development and/or maintaining semiconductor processes and equipment.
Recent graduates with extensive cleanroom and experimental background will also be considered.
Experience with statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE) is required.
Candidates must have strong problem-solving and analytical skills as well as excellent interpersonal and communication skills for cross-functional interactions.
Strong accountability, self-initiative and proactive attitude are required for success.
Candidates must be local or willing to relocate to Santa Rosa, CA
This position requires access to certain goods, software, technology, or technical data subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations. Under these laws and regulations, U.S. persons (which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees) working for Keysight can access export-controlled items without authorization from the U.S. government. For any individual who is not a U.S. person, Keysight may need authorization from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, or other appropriate federal agency before the individual can access export-controlled items. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual, having authorization from the U.S. government for export-controlled items under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Responsibilities

Deep knowledge and expertise with wafer process development in one or more of the following areas: Dryetch, PVD/sputtering, CVD/PECVD, ashing, or similar vacuum processes
Own and advance plasma process performance across etch, CVD, PVD, and/or ashing tools by driving film quality, profiles, uniformity, selectivity, chamber health, defect reduction, and overall process robustness through structured DOEs
Collaborate with equipment engineering on tool performance optimization, preventive‑maintenance strategies, throughput enhancements, and new tool installs or upgrades
Drive process control and stability through SPC charting, daily reviews, root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions using statistical tools (e.g., JMP)
Working closely with other process, integration, product, and circuit design engineers to define process and performance targets
Defining process flows, develop new processes and drive continuous process improvement (CPI) efforts to maximize product yield
Report process metrics, root cause investigations, and process change implementations at the department level
Ensuring successful process hand off to manufacturing partners
Working with Operations to implement robust process control and support production processes; diagnose and resolve process problems with urgency
Leading capital equipment acquisition projects that include tool evaluation, characterization, process development, and qualification
Broader experience in upstream and downstream processes and the ability to understand process interactions