Senior Staff MOCVD Development Engineer

Renesas Electronics • Goleta, CA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Staff MOCVD Development Engineer will lead process and hardware development for GaN-based epitaxial growth on silicon and sapphire substrates, enabling next-generation power devices. This role emphasizes deep technical understanding of MOCVD reactor behavior, GaN heterostructure engineering, and epitaxial integration for p-GaN and e-mode (enhancement-mode) device architectures. The ideal candidate combines strong experimental rigor, demonstrated materials expertise, and cross-functional leadership to translate research concepts into production-capable processes.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or closely related discipline. M.S. with 10+ years of directly relevant hands-on experience.
• Minimum 8+ years of direct hands-on MOCVD process development and optimization for III-V or III-nitride semiconductor materials (GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, etc.).
• Demonstrated technical expertise in GaN-on-Si and/or GaN-on-Sapphire heterostructures, including buffer layer design, strain engineering, and defect reduction strategies.
• Strong experience developing p-type GaN epitaxy and e-mode device architectures, with deep understanding of Mg activation, dopant diffusion control, and gate stack engineering for threshold voltage stability.
• Proficiency with advanced epitaxial layer characterization techniques (XRD, SIMS, CL, TEM, PL, Hall effect measurements) and ability to interpret results to guide process optimization.
• Track record of designing complex DOEs, executing structured experiments, conducting statistical analysis (SPC, multivariate data interpretation), and drawing evidence-based conclusions.
• Demonstrated success in transferring epitaxial processes from R&D to pilot or high-volume manufacturing environments, with understanding of manufacturability constraints and yield optimization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with multiple MOCVD platforms (e.g., Aixtron G5, G4, or Veeco Propel systems) - preferred
• Familiarity with GaN power device design requirements and performance metrics - preferred
• Prior leadership or mentoring experience in an R&D or manufacturing engineering environment -preferred

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and transfer MOCVD epitaxial processes for GaN-on-Si and GaN-onSapphire wafers, focusing on high-performance device layers targeting e-mode (p-GaN gate) and HEMT applications.
• Design and execute development roadmaps for buffer structure engineering, strain management, and defect reduction to achieve target breakdown voltages, leakage, and mobility metrics.
• Lead process integration studies addressing p-type activation, Mg incorporation, compensation control, and interface optimization for gate reliability.
• Drive reactor-scale modeling and hardware tuning to improve growth uniformity, thickness control, and wafer bow mitigation on large-diameter substrates.
• Analyze defect physics mechanisms (threading dislocations, V-defects, point defects) affecting device reliability and performance, driving iterative improvements in process conditions.
• Design and execute structured experiments (DOE-based) to deconvolve multi-parameter interactions in reactor conditions, precursor chemistry, and thermal profiles.
• Characterize epitaxial films using XRD, AFM, TEM, PL, CV, and Hall measurements, correlating data to growth parameters and device performance.
• Collaborate closely with device engineers and reliability teams to co-optimize epitaxial structures for threshold voltage, dynamic Ron, off-state leakage, and long-term stability
• Translate device performance specifications and reliability requirements into detailed epitaxial process and material specifications; document Process of Record (PoR) and engineering specifications for qualification and manufacturing handoff.
• Support failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective action implementation for process-related device excursions or reliability issues.
• Lead process transfer activities from R&D to pilot or production-scale reactors, ensuring knowledge capture and robust parameter windows

Benefits

• Renesas offers a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, and pet insurance.
• In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive company-paid life insurance and AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as paid sick time, paid holidays, and accrued paid vacation.
• New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees